


Past Mistakes

by Dahlia_Rose_83



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-01 16:51:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 95,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4027510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dahlia_Rose_83/pseuds/Dahlia_Rose_83
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alaric has come to Mystic Falls to kill the Vampire who killed his wife. But actually meeting said Vampire stirs up unexpected feelings and things get complicated. Even more so when Damon suddenly claims that their shared history dates a lot further back than Isobel`s supposed death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I already posted this Story on fanfiction.net (and like all my fics in german on fanfiktion.de). Now I thought I`d move it here for safekeeping.
> 
> I got the original idea after watching reruns of season 3. When Stefan realized that he`d known Klaus before and had been compelled to forget, I thought this could work for Damon and Ric as well. I never expected the story to become that long however. I stuck to the original storyline and a lot of the dialogue, but changed it to fit my ideas. Starts out in season one...

Alaric looked at himself in the mirror with a sigh. A 50`s decade dance – whoever came up with this stupid idea? And as a teacher he had no choice but to attend and play chaperone. Just great. He hoped it might at least take his mind off of recent events. Somehow he still couldn`t believe that he`d actually done it. Killed a vampire. And it hadn`t even been that hard. Actually it had been kind of exciting, which scared him a little. But maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it would give him the strength to go on and do what he had to do. He glanced at his watch and - sighing yet again – left his apartment.   
   
The gym was decorated nicely, he had to admit. The students had invested a lot of work into this. Looking at all the teenagers mingling around, dressed up in perfect 50`s clothes actually made him smile. The smile faded quickly however when he spied a familiar figure across the room. The vampire who had killed his wife. The reason he was here in Mystic Falls. After two years of research Alaric hadn`t thought it would be that easy in the end. He had come to Mystic Falls because Isobel`s research had pointed to this town. He hadn`t really thought he`d actually find any vampires here, let alone the vampire he was looking for.  
   
And yet here he was, standing at the edge of the dance floor, discreetly surveying the crowd. Alaric tensed a little as the vampire`s gaze swept over him. Back at the bar, where he`d seen him the first time, he had thought for a second he saw something like recognition in the vampire`s eyes. Ric remembered that night vividly, when he`d come home to find a vampire in his bedroom, draining his wife. He knew he`d made some sound, because the vampire had sped off, taking Isobel with him. But Ric wasn`t sure if the monster had seen him. If he would recognize him as well.  
   
The teacher was startled out of his musings when Jenna walked up to him. He wasn`t really sure how he felt about her, yet. She was nice and easy-going, beautiful and charming, but somehow he doubted he was ready to start dating again. Still he smiled at her. “Hey, look at you.” Jenna smiled back. “I figured I'd stand out less if I dressed up.” The comment made Ric laugh and he accused her of lying. “Okay, I'm a sucker for the decade dance. I went to school here, you know. They do the sixties and seventies, too.” she let him know with a smile. She was clearly flirting and Alaric felt a little bad for stringing her on.   
   
But maybe he wasn`t. Maybe he just needed to get this over with, to finally find out exactly what had happened to Isobel and then he could go on with his life. “Oh. Can't wait.” he retorted a little sarcastically. Wasn`t one decade dance bad enough? Jenna laughed and he couldn`t help but grin as well. They moved to get some punch and talked animatedly, until Jenna mentioned that she was starting to see some change in Jeremy. “Uh, losing someone you love so suddenly, the, uh—the trauma and the grief there are some of the tougher things he'll face in life.” Ric commented, thinking of Isobel.   
   
Jenna stopped to look at him. “From someone who knows. You have no idea what happened?” she asked sympathetically. “That's the hard part, not knowing.” Alaric told her honestly. “I'd be lying to you if I told you it didn't keep me up at night. Wondering why, by who.” Well, he knew by who, but he wanted to know the whole story. He wanted to know why. Had Isobel been just a random victim? Or had her research gotten her killed in the end, because she got too close to the truth?   
   
“Maybe one day.” Jenna`s comment shook him out of his thoughts. The teacher nodded, his eyes drifting again to the man standing across the room, his arms folded over his chest, watching the couples on the dance floor. “Hope so.” he murmured, sipping at his punch again and wondering if it was such a good idea to talk to Jenna about these things. He shouldn`t get her involved in all of this. Ric felt actually relieved when one of his teaching colleagues came up to talk to her and gave him the chance to take his leave.  
   
Hesitating only a second he made his way over to the vampire. Time to face the enemy. This was neutral territory after all and maybe he could find out something useful. “I don't recognize you. How'd you get roped into chaperoning? Alaric Saltzman. I'm the new history teacher.” He pasted a friendly smile on his face and shook the vampire`s hand. “Damon. Salvatore.” The guy was looking at him with a spooky intensity that made Ric nervous. “Salvatore, as in, uh, Stefan?” he asked, stuttering a little. Damn, he shouldn`t give the vampire an advantage, but that blue eyed gaze was rather distracting. Especially up close.   
   
“He's my little brother. I'm his legal guardian, hence the chaperoning.” Damon told him. Alaric made some comment about Stefan, stating that he hadn`t met him in class so far and wondering absently if Stefan was a vampire as well. He must be, right? If his brother was one. “Well, his attendance record's a little spotty. Family drama.” Damon murmured conspiratorially. He seemed way too friendly and easy-going for a heartless monster. Probably practiced this, to lure innocent victims into trusting him, the teacher suspected. “No parents?” he asked, trying to keep his tone light.  
   
“It's just the two of us now.” Damon answered willingly. Alaric wasn`t sure if it was a good idea to keep interrogating him, but the chance was too good to pass up. The vampire had to behave himself in a crowd this big. Still Ric`s questioning seemed to start grating on his nerves after a while, because the vampire looked at him with raised eyebrows and Ric quickly backpedalled. “I'm sorry. I'm nosy. I--I don't mean to pry. Look, it was nice meeting you.” he quickly excused himself, patted the vampire on the arm and left.   
   
Even with his back to Damon he could practically feel those blue eyes on himself. Cursing himself for his own stupidity he walked away at a fast pace, trying to disappear into the crowd. He could only hope he hadn`t raised the vampire`s suspicion now.   
   
A few minutes later he ran into Jenna again, who promptly started chatting him up once more. Alaric still felt a little shaken up over his encounter with the vampire and therefore didn`t really pay attention. Of course Jenna noticed that he was distracted and asked worriedly if he was okay. He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. “Yeah, I`m fine. Just a little tired. It´s been a long day. I think I`ll go get some fresh air.” he left Jenna standing there and exited the gym, breathing a sigh of relief when he was out of the crowd.   
   
Alaric walked towards the restrooms, just wanting to be alone for a second, to compose his thoughts. The school hallways were dimly lit and completely empty. The noise from the party faded away and his steps sounded unnaturally loud. Ric stopped short when he heard a noise. It seemed to come from the cafeteria. Curious he went to investigate. His hand slid into his jacket pocket and he pulled out the vervain, hoping it would really work like the research had said.  
   
He stopped abruptly when Damon appeared in front of him, seemingly out of nowhere. Damn, the vampire was fast. The teacher cleared his throat nervously. He could feel his heart rate speed up, but tried to act nonchalant. “Hey.” The vampire stepped closer, was now standing directly in front of him. He was staring at Ric even more intensely than earlier at the party. His blue eyes seemed to darken. “What were you doing?” he asked. His voice sounded hypnotic and Ric realized that he was trying to mess with his mind. But it wasn`t working. So obviously his resources had been right about the vervain.  
   
“Looking for Ms. Hilden.” he answered calmly. “Why are you in Mystic Falls?” the vampire continued his interrogation. Ric told him he was here, because he got hired as a teacher. “Do you know what I am?” It was getting increasingly difficult to hold that stare, to keep breathing evenly, but somehow the teacher managed not to flinch. “You're my student's brother.” his voice sounded strangely calm even to his own ears. Damon took another step closer and for a second Ric`s breath caught in his throat. “Is everything you're telling me the truth?”  
   
Alaric nodded. “Yes.” The vampire continued to stare at him. “Then forget we had this conversation.” he ordered, before finally taking a step back. His eyes raked over Alaric one last time, then he simply walked away. The teacher just stood still for a moment. His hand was shaking when he put the vervain back into his pocket. Up this close the vampire`s presence had been nearly overwhelming. Had to have been the compulsion he was trying to use.   
   
Shaking himself out of his trance, Ric finally returned to the gym. He went purposefully looking for Jenna, hoping that talking to her would take his mind off the strange encounter in the hallway. Luckily it did. He found himself talking about Isobel again, simply couldn`t help it, but Jenna didn`t really seem to mind. In the end he even walked her home. At her front door he apologized for talking about his wife so much, but she just shrugged it off and assured him it was okay. Only after he had bade her goodnight did he realize that it would have been the perfect opportunity to ask her out. Well, he obviously still wasn`t ready for a date.


	2. Chapter 2

Two days later Alaric was back at school. He was sitting at his desk, reading the journal Jeremy had given him. At least, he was trying to read. Somehow he just couldn`t concentrate today. His mind kept flashing back to his encounter with Damon in the hallway. His reaction to the vampire`s close presence still puzzled him. At first he chalked it up to the mind control the vampire had tried to use, but deep down he knew that it was more than that.   
   
Damon had stirred up thoughts he hadn`t had since his early college days. Back then the teacher had admired the male form just as much as the female, if not more. But things had changed when he met Isobel. He had convinced himself that he was completely straight and up until now he hadn`t questioned that. Now however… Well, the vampire was gorgeous, Alaric grudgingly admitted. But of course that didn´t change the fact that he had killed his wife. And it certainly wouldn`t stop Ric from getting revenge.   
   
Giving up with a frustrated sigh the teacher went to make copies from the journal, which he quickly put into his locker. Jeremy would want this back soon, he supposed and it couldn`t hurt to have access to the information whenever he needed. He had just put the journal back onto his desk and sat down to start grading papers, when he heard a noise outside. Looking up he thought he saw someone move past his open door. “Hello?” he called out. No answer. Strange. The school should be deserted at this time of day.  
   
Frowning he got up and went to investigate, but saw no-one out in the hallway. Still he felt a shiver race down his back. Two days ago the hallways had appeared empty as well and seconds later he had come face to face with a vampire. “Someone there?” he tried again, but still got no answer. Deciding not to take any chances he went into the teacher´s lounge again to get his bag. Quickly he took a blow dart gun out of the duffel bag and inserted a wooden stake into it. He had modified the gun himself. Just one of the many weapons he had brought with him to Mystic Falls. Some he had even designed himself.  
   
He cocked the gun and crept back towards his classroom. Peering around the corner for a second he saw someone inside. No-one could have entered the room while he wasn`t there. At least no-one that was moving at human speed. Which meant the person in there couldn`t be human.

Entering quickly the teacher shot a stake at the intruder, who caught the stake effortlessly. Alaric reloaded the gun and pointed it at the vampire again, only now recognizing Stefan. So he was right about Damon´s brother being a vampire as well. “You shouldn't have done that.” Stefan said quietly, suddenly rushing at the teacher. Before Ric had a chance to react the gun was knocked from his hands and Stefan pushed him into the desk. “Have a seat.” the vampire ordered  
   
Alaric hesitated, but in the end sat down, watching the vampire warily, who was now inspecting the gun. “What is this, compressed air? Did you make it yourself? Who are you?” the teacher didn`t answer.  He tried to come up with a plan, but failed. Should have known hunting vampires wouldn`t always be that easy. Killing Logan Fell had made him feel too cocky about himself. He flinched when Stefan stepped closer. “I'm not going to hurt you...unless you try that again.” the younger Salvatore assured and handed back the gun. Alaric took it, still watching the vampire suspiciously, trying to find out what kind of game he was playing.  
   
Stefan sat down and asked again who he was. “I'm a teacher.” Ric answered honestly. Stefan sighed in annoyance. “Are we gonna have to do this the hard way?” His voice sounded pretty even, but Ric recognized a threat when he heard one. Giving in, as there really was nothing else he could do, the teacher relented. “My wife was a parapsychologist. She spent her life researching paranormal activity in this area. It was her work that led me here.”   
   
Stefan asked where his wife was and Ric`s face darkened. “Dead. A vampire killed her.” he spat, surprised when Stefan flinched. The younger Salvatore recovered quickly however and asked about the Gilbert journal. It was only then that Ric realized the journal was no longer where he`d put it. “It was on my desk. Someone must`ve taken it.”   
   
Stefan looked troubled at that, but continued his interrogation nonetheless. “How long have you been aware of me?” Alaric snorted at the question. I haven`t really been aware of you until I tried to shoot you, he thought grimly. What he said however was: “I learned just recently. What about your brother?” Stefan didn`t even blink. “You met Damon.” It was a statement, not a question. He must have known that Damon had tried to compel the teacher. “Who do you think killed my wife?”   
   
This however surprised Stefan. “Are you certain it was Damon?” he asked. Alaric nodded grimly. “I witnessed it.” And a part of him wished he hadn`t. Knowing nothing at all would be better than knowing just a bit. Just enough to keep him searching. “If you're here for revenge, this is going to end very badly for you.” Stefan warned. Ric suspected that this might very well be the case, but he couldn`t stop now. He just had to know the truth. “I just want to find out what happened to my wife. I saw him draining the life out of her. He must have heard me coming. He just...disappeared. So did her body. They never found her.”  
   
Stefan stared at him for a second. “Damon can never know why you're here. He'll kill you without blinking.” Yes, Alaric didn`t doubt that. But he could take care of himself and that`s what he told Stefan as well. Only the younger Salvatore didn`t seem to believe him. “No, you can't.” he scoffed. His next words surprised the teacher. “I can help you. If you let me.” Ric looked at him suspiciously. “Why would you help me?” That didn`t make sense. It had to be some sort of trick. Vampires were rumoured to be sneaky creatures.  
   
“I`m not like my brother. I don`t want people to get hurt. I just… I just want to live a normal life. As much as possible for someone like me.” Stefan replied. He seemed honest, but Ric wasn`t convinced. “Please, let me help you.” the vampire said. Reluctantly Ric nodded. He could use some help. Maybe Stefan was honest, maybe he wasn`t. He would probably find out soon enough. For now he decided to believe him. But he would stay alert. “I still don`t trust you.” he let the vampire know. Stefan actually smiled at that. “I didn`t expect you to. I don`t trust you either.” Fair enough, Ric supposed. “That means you`ll find out what happened to my wife?” he asked.  
   
“I`ll ask Damon about her. I can`t promise you anything, but I`ll try, okay? And you stay away from Damon.” It was an order, not a request. Ric decided to follow that order for now. But if Stefan didn`t come up with news soon, he would go after Damon himself. Only the younger Salvatore didn`t need to know that. “I`ll stay away from him.” he promised. “Anything else?”  
   
“We need that journal.” Stefan murmured. Ric thought of the copies, safely locked away. “Why do you need it?” he asked. Stefan fidgeted a little. Finally he heaved a sigh and started explaining. He told Alaric about the vampires, locked away in the tomb underneath the old church, about Damon`s plan to free them and the fact that they needed the journal to find out how to break the spell that sealed the entrance shut. “If Damon succeeds it will end in a massacre. Those vampires will be out for revenge. I need the journal to stop him and protect this town. So if you know where it is, please give it to me.”   
   
After a moment`s hesitation Alaric got up. “I don`t know where it is, but I made copies. Come on.” He went to his locker and retrieved the copies, handed them over to Stefan reluctantly. “Thank you. You`ll get them back.” the vampire promised. Strangely enough, Ric believed him.  
   
***  
   
The next few days were rather uneventful for the teacher. He didn`t see Stefan or Damon and tried to concentrate on teaching instead of vampires. Stefan had given him his cell phone number, just in case and he had to resist the urge to call and ask if there was anything new about Isobel yet. Thankfully work kept him pretty busy, although most students in Mystic Falls didn`t have a rather spectacular attendance record. It seemed like there was always at least one student missing from class and more often than not Ric didn`t even know why. This week Bonnie had been excused from school, because of the recent death of her grandmother. Elena had failed to attend twice without an explanation and he hadn`t seen Stefan at all. Which was nothing new, really.  
   
Therefore the teacher was quite surprised when the vampire actually showed up to class at the end of the week. He lingered after the other students had filed out of the class room and Ric turned his questioning gaze on him. “Here, I promised you`d get them back.” Stefan murmured, handing over the copies of the journal. “Thanks. So… did you find out what exactly happened to Isobel, yet?” Stefan shook his head. “I didn`t have time to ask my brother. Things have been … difficult.”   
   
Alaric frowned, wondering what the hell that was supposed to mean. “You promised to find out.” he reminded the vampire, wondering if it had been a good idea to leave it up to him. He should have gone after Damon himself. The younger Salvatore sighed. “I know and I will. I just need more time. There has been a lot going on lately and my brother is… not exactly stable right now.” His voice sounded strained, tired and Ric suddenly remembered the rest of their talk.  
   
“I take it his plan to free those vampires didn`t work out then?” he asked, getting worried when Stefan looked away, his shoulders hunched. “No, it didn`t. Or rather it did, but not like he`d planned. It was … a disaster.” he mumbled. His words didn`t make sense. “And that means…?” the teacher prodded. “It means you should probably keep those stakes handy.” Stefan muttered darkly, turning on his heel and storming off without further explanation.   
   
Alaric looked after him in shock. Just great. From what he`d gathered that meant 27 murderous vampires were now running rampant around town. But maybe he had misunderstood Stefan. At least he hoped he had. With a sigh Ric put the copies into his bag and quickly left the room, deciding to be extra careful from now on.  
   
***  
   
The teacher stifled a groan when he ran into Carol Lockwood on his way out. That woman had lately become the bane of his existence. Not only had she talked him into chaperoning the next school dance, she had also somehow gotten him to agree to participate in the bachelor raffle tomorrow. Really, where did these people get those ideas? And why had he agreed to do this? He supposed he had said yes in the end just to shut her up. And now here she was again, enlisting his help in decorating for the Founder`s Fundraiser. Ric had every intention of saying no, telling her just how much work he still had to do.  
   
Strangely enough by early afternoon the next day he found himself helping Jenna putting up banners for the Fundraiser. At least he had someone to complain to, even if Jenna only laughed and told him that you simply didn`t say no to the Mayor`s wife. “Come on, this is weird, me being raffled off like a Disney Cruise.” he grumbled. “In this town, fundraising is like indentured servitude. You don't have a choice. Besides, you're a bachelor and you're eligible, so there you go.” Jenna reasoned. Ric sighed and put the last banner up. What the hell had he gotten himself into?  
   
Startled he noticed that Jenna was watching him with a weird look. “Oh, god. I can't believe I'm gonna do this.” she suddenly mumbled. Ric looked at her questioningly. “Do what?” he asked, hoping she wasn`t going to ask him out on a date now. Somehow they were still dancing around each other and he still wasn`t sure if he wanted to date her or not. Luckily Jenna didn`t ask him out, but she shocked him nonetheless. “I … I have to tell you. Elena recently found out she was adopted and she's been looking for her birth mother...whose name was Isobel. “  
   
“Isobel? Like my wife?” he questioned. “Isobel never had a baby.” Jenna bit her lip and asked if he was sure. Ric frowned. He would have known if his wife had a daughter. “Nope. No way.” he clarified. What a weird idea. Just because Elena`s mother`s name was Isobel… Jenna took out her phone and handed it to him. “This is Elena's birth mother.” The teacher stared at the screen in shock. She looked younger, but it was definitely his wife. “Ah, she …she never told me. I, … I'm gonna go. Yeah, I'm just gonna … go.” he stammered, giving the phone back and walking away quickly.  
   
His mind was reeling. Isobel had a daughter. Elena. And she had never felt the need to tell him. He just couldn`t believe it. It made him wonder what else she had kept from him. Arriving at his apartment he slumped down on the couch. After a while he got up again and started rummaging in a drawer, until he finally found what he was looking for. He carried the little box over to the couch and took out a picture of Isobel. One of the very few ones he`d kept. After the funeral he had given most of them to Isobel`s parents. He didn`t really know why.   
   
Looking at the picture now made him remember. Especially the last few month before her death. They had drifted apart. Isobel had always been obsessed with her work and at first he had accepted that, had even found it kinda cute. But it had gotten worse. She had spent nights working at her computer, slept through the day. In the end he had barely seen her at all. Sometimes she had just disappeared for days and he hadn`t known where she was. Or who she was with.   
   
Shaking himself out of his thoughts he sent a quick text to Stefan and asked the vampire to meet him. He wanted answers. And he wanted them now.


	3. Chapter 3

Stefan met him at the town square. “Jenna told you.” he suspected. Alaric simply nodded. “So it's true. Your wife Isobel was Elena's birth mother?” Another nod. “What does Elena know?” Alaric finally asked. Stefan sighed. “About your wife?” he asked the question like he already knew the answer.  “About everything. About you, your brother.” Ric clarified. The vampire hesitated a little, but then he told him that she knew about the vampires and the fact that Ric knew about them too.”   
   
“Does she know about Damon and Isobel?” the teacher continued his interrogation. “No. I couldn't tell her. Not until I was sure.” Ric understood. It would be enough of a shock for poor Elena. She was a sweet girl and he wished he could spare her the details. But she had a right to know the whole truth. Just like him. “You said you'd help me.” he reminded Stefan once again. “I asked Damon without saying too much. He doesn't remember.” the vampire claimed. Which wasn`t good enough for Ric, so he demanded that Stefan asked his brother again.   
   
“Damon is not stable right now.” he sounded pained, but the teacher didn`t really care. “You said that before. But you know what, I don`t care. He murdered my wife, or at the very least made a meal out of her. When has he been stable?” he asked, getting angry. The vampire was only stalling. Maybe he already knew more than he let on. With a heavy sigh Stefan asked him not to push it, promising he would handle it. That it would be too dangerous for Ric.   
   
“Is that what you'll tell Elena? Let it go, because it`s dangerous?” Obviously he had hit a nerve, cause the next thing he knew the vampire was in his face, hissing at him to leave Elena out of this. Ric took a step back. Stefan`s presence wasn`t nearly as overwhelming as Damon`s, but nonetheless threatening. “I need to know what happened. I think you would, too.”   
   
The vampire took a deep breath and calmed. “I need something more than just your wife's name. A picture, something I could show Damon.” he said after a while. Ric pulled the picture of Isobel out of his jacket and handed it over. Stefan looked at it, nodded and left. Alaric felt that he really needed a drink after this drama and decided he could just grade papers at the Grill.  
   
A few minutes later he was sitting at the bar, drinking a glass of bourbon. He didn`t look up when he heard someone enter, but he flinched when that someone ordered a bourbon and sat down next to him. “Behold the teacher. Grading papers at a bar?” Damon mocked. Ric looked at him and instantly wished he hadn`t. Up this close those blue eyes were way too hypnotic. “It's, uh.. more fun with a buzz.” he stammered. The vampire actually smiled a little wistful at that. “Well, most things in life are. Sober’ s depressing.” he mumbled, sipping at his drink.  
   
Alaric watched him, curious. “You don't strike me as somebody who gets depressed.” he observed, instantly regretting it when the vampire´s gaze got even more intense. “You say that like you know me.” There was a strange undertone to his voice. Ric`s heart rate sped up, but he managed to shrug. “Just a hunch.” Damon kept staring at him and the teacher couldn`t look away. The sounds of the bar, of the people around them, faded into the background as they stared at each other for what seemed like hours.   
   
Finally Alaric managed to tear his gaze away. He prayed he wasn`t blushing as he quickly finished his drink and got up. Muttering a greeting in the vampire`s general direction, without looking at him he made his way towards the exit. It took all of his willpower to walk out of the bar at a normal pace, instead of running away as fast as his legs would carry him. He could feel the vampire`s gaze on himself the whole time.  
   
****  
   
The teacher went home, where he took some time to compose himself. But all too soon he had to get ready for the Fundraiser. Once again cursing himself for agreeing to partake in the stupid raffle and cursing Carol Lockwood for asking him in the first place, he finally dressed up and headed to the Mystic Grill. The party was already in full swing when he arrived and he worried a little about the many women mingling in the room, laughing, talking and sneaking not-so-discreet glances at the men. Alaric sighed and decided he needed another drink if he wanted to make it through the evening.   
   
A short while later Jenna found him and he apologized for running off earlier. “No, I'm sorry for dropping it on you, but I felt like you should know.” she murmured. He just nodded. Part of him felt glad that she`d told him the truth, but another part already regretted ever coming to Mystic Falls. He`d come here to find answers and all he got so far was more questions.   
   
“At some point, maybe you and Elena could talk. I'm sure she'd like to hear about Isobel, what she was like.” Jenna suggested. Ric cleared his throat, feeling more than a little uncomfortable about the topic. He wasn´t sure if Elena would like what he could tell her. He had loved Isobel, of course he had, but their relationship had been a difficult one. Especially towards the end.   
   
Isobel had changed, back then. Had become distant and strange. Or rather, even more strange. She`d always been obsessed with her work, but during those last few month she had become almost manic. He wondered if he had ever really known her. “I don't know if that's a … a great idea. At least not … not for a while.” he finally murmured. Jenna nodded understandingly. “Of course. No pressure. It`s up to you.” she assured.  
   
The teacher was almost thankful when their talk was interrupted by a girl, who told him he had to go on stage soon. He moved to the back, nodding to the other four guys already gathered there. His gaze lingered on Damon for a second. Then the vampire grinned at him and he quickly averted his eyes.   
   
Finally Carol Lockwood called them onto the stage. She introduced each bachelor and asked a few questions. Alaric barely paid attention. He hated being put in the spotlight like that. The many stares that were directed at him made him feel uncomfortable. Unbidden the image of a slave auction came to his mind and he had to suppress a snort at the thought of him and the other guys being sold off to the highest bidder. And to make things even worse, Damon was standing right next to him, fuelling Ric`s nervousness with his mere presence.  
   
He was startled out of his musings when Carol suddenly stopped in front of him. “Alaric Saltzman. Wow. That's quite a mouthful. What do you do, Alaric?” she asked cheerily. Ric barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He told her he was working as a history teacher, while he absently wondered if she was either drunk or on drugs. This cheerfulness simply couldn`t be real. Especially for someone who was married to Richard Lockwood. The Mayor was a real dick. You probably had to be constantly drunk to handle him.  
   
“History. Oh well, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls, something crazy.” Carol asked, looking at him in anticipation. Without really intending to, Alaric looked over at Damon. The vampire smirked at him, his blue eyes twinkled with mischief and Ric felt at a loss for words. He opened his mouth, but nothing intelligent came out. Carol shrugged. “He's probably saving the best stories for his date.” she mused. With a false grin she moved on to Damon and started questioning him. The teacher suddenly found himself paying attention, when Damon remarked that he liked to travel.  
   
“L.A., New York. Couple of years ago I was in North Carolina. Near the Duke campus, actually. I think … I think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you, Ric? And your wife did too, right?” the vampire looked at him with a questioning, completely innocent look and Ric felt his temper rise. He balled his hands to fists and fought the urge to wipe that damn smile off Damon´s face. So the bastard knew exactly who Alaric was. Had probably known all along.   
   
Carol continued talking, completely oblivious to what was really going on between the two men. Ric didn`t pay attention. He was staring straight ahead now, not wanting to see the triumph on Damon´s face. The vampire would pay, he vowed silently to himself. He registered absent mindedly that Jenna would be his date and couldn`t help but feel glad about it. At least he already knew her, so hopefully it wouldn`t be too awkward.   
   
The teacher breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally allowed to leave the stage. He went to find Jenna, who held up her ticket with a smile. “So, I guess this means you owe me a date.” He forced himself to smile back. “Looks like it.” Jenna looked at him closely and her smile faltered. “You don`t have to go through with it, you know? I understand.” she mumbled and Ric blinked at her, not really sure what she was hinting at. Before he could say something she tugged at his arm and motioned for him to follow her.   
   
She led him to a quiet corner, away from prying eyes. “I like you Ric and I won`t deny that I find you attractive. But I know when I don´t stand a chance.” Jenna let him know, puzzling him even more. “Jenna, I don`t…” he started, but she didn`t let him finish that sentence. “It´s okay. Didn`t take a genius to figure out your interest lies elsewhere.” she said with a wry smile, gesturing to her left. Alaric followed her line of sight and spotted Damon. It took a second until it clicked, but then he shook his head vigorously. “No. No, that`s not what you think.” he assured.  
   
“It`s okay, really. I don`t mind. I can understand you. He`s ridiculously hot. And I won´t tell anyone. Don´t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” Her grin was back and once more Alaric felt at a loss for words. She couldn`t really think he was interested in Damon. Well he was, but not like she thought. His eyes flickered back to the vampire, who was engrossed in a discussion with Elena. The girl seemed angry and Ric wondered if Stefan had told her the truth about Isobel`s death.   
   
“I`m not sure if he swings that way, but from what I`ve seen of him so far I wouldn`t be surprised. And with the way he looks at you… You should take the chance. But I have to warn you – he`s a flirt. So if you`re after something serious he`s probably not your best choice.” Jenna advised. Alaric looked at her, surprised that she didn`t seem all that upset. She was even smiling again. “You can talk to me, you know? I`d like for us to stay friends.” she told him.   
   
For a second he could only stare at her, amazed at her words. He realized that while she was beautiful and sweet and he really enjoyed spending time with her, he simply didn`t feel drawn to her. Not in that way. Finally Alaric`s lips curved into a smile and he nodded. “I`d like that, too.” he said sincerely. “And I am taking you out on that date. Dinner and a movie?” Jenna actually laughed at that. “Sounds like a plan.” she agreed. Ric couldn`t help but feel glad that things were finally cleared between them, even if Jenna thought he was interested in Damon. He would have enough time to prove that her assumption was wrong. And with a little luck Damon wouldn´t be problem to anybody much longer.


	4. Chapter 4

It was about two hours later when Alaric quietly entered the boarding house with a stake in hand, a little surprised that the door had been unlocked. He found Damon in what appeared to be the living room. The vampire was busy preparing himself a drink and had his back to the teacher. Ric was about to take another step forward, when Damon suddenly spoke up. “I guess this isn`t a social call?” He turned around and stared at the teacher, raising an eyebrow in question. “You gonna put down the stake?” Alaric remained in an attacking stance, watching the vampire warily.  
   
“Wow, that's courage.” Damon mocked, walking towards Alaric. The teacher gripped the stake tighter, not willing to back down. “Where's Isobel? What have you done to my wife?” he demanded. He saw something flicker in Damon´s eyes. Some emotion he couldn`t name. “That`s the reason you`re here? Your wife? You want me to tell you I killed her? Would that make you happy? Because I think you know what happened.” the vampire claimed.  
   
“I saw you feeding on her.” Alaric let him know. Damon didn`t seem surprised. But maybe he was good at hiding it. His face seemed like an expressionless mask, devoid of any emotion. “Yeah, I did, and you know what? She was delicious.” Something in Alaric snapped and he rushed at the vampire. But of course Damon had expected his attack and blocked it easily. Within seconds Alaric found himself on the floor. “Oh, come on. What do you think happened? Not an inkling? Never considered the possibility?” Damon asked, looking down at him.  
   
Ric frowned. He had no idea what the vampire was hinting at. Obviously Damon noticed this, because he elaborated: “I turned her.” Those news shocked the teacher. For a moment he was unable to reply. He had never considered that Isobel may still be alive. Or well, as alive as a vampire could be. The thought that she had left him stung. “Why?” he asked. Damon laughed humourlessly. “She came to me. All pathetic, begging me to turn her. Said she`d do anything.”  
   
The words hurt, which was probably just what the vampire wanted. Still, Alaric just couldn`t let it go. He wanted answers. Needed answers. Had asked himself too many questions for too long. “You turned her because she begged you?” he asked. Damon shrugged. “Yeah. But you knew that, too, didn't you? She wasn't happy at home, wasn't happy with life in general, wasn't happy with you. She didn`t care about you, Ric. Not one bit. She left you without a second thought.” the vampire went on. He seemed to be taking cruel delight in Alaric`s pain.   
   
Ric got up and launched another attack, but once again the vampire proved to be stronger. He knocked the stake out of the teacher`s hand and punched him in the stomach, sending him sprawling onto the floor again. “Stop fighting me. We're kindred spirits, Ric, abandoned by the women we loved. Unrequited love sucks. But you know what, you`ll get over it. Isobel was a heartless bitch. Just forget about her.” Damon advised. The teacher glanced over at the stake that was lying a few feet away, wondering if he would be able to reach it before Damon stopped him.  
   
He had no chance to find out. Suddenly he heard the splintering of glass and seconds later Damon was tackled to the floor by some guy. Another vampire, Ric noticed with a glance. While the two vampires were busy fighting he quickly scrambled forward and picked up the stake. Looking back he noticed that a female had joined the fight now as well. Damon managed to buck the guy off and he stumbled into Alaric, who tried to seize the opportunity and put the stake to use. Unfortunately the vampire was stronger. He blocked his attempt, grabbed the stake and stabbed the teacher, who yelled in pain.  
   
The vampire pulled the stake out again and Alaric crumbled to the ground. Gasping for air he placed his hands over the wound, trying to stop the blood flow, but it was no use. His body felt like it was on fire and each breath hurt like hell. He wasn`t getting enough air. The stake had punctured a lung. Already his vision was swimming, the sounds of fighting becoming distant. Ric tried to fight the drowsiness, but his eyelids were getting heavy and he couldn`t breathe. And then everything went black.  
   
***  
   
Damon broke the leg off a wooden chair and used it to stake the girl. Seeing this the other vampire fled through the broken window. Damon looked after him with a frown. It didn`t take a genius to figure out that the two vampires had been in the tomb. He recognized the girl, Beth or something like that. He wasn`t sure why they had attacked him, but frankly he didn`t really care. Turning around again he spied Alaric on the floor and took a step towards him, but stopped when he noticed the bloodstain on the teacher´s shirt. He didn`t need to go any closer to know that Ric was dead. He could hear no heartbeat.  
   
For a long moment he just stood there, staring down at the dead teacher. The guy must have killed him while Damon had been busy fighting off the girl. He hadn`t even noticed that Ric had still been here. A smart man would have run as soon as Damon was distracted. But not Ric. He should have known. The guy had always had a serious hero complex. Finally Damon turned away, feeling strangely numb. After debating with himself for a second, he grabbed the dead vampire and put her into the trunk of his car. He would hand her over to the sheriff later, let Liz deal with getting rid of the body. It would give her one more reason to be thankful to him.  
   
Then he went back inside, grabbed his glass and sat down on the couch. Once again his eyes were drawn towards Alaric`s still form. He just couldn`t look away. What a waste. The dark haired vampire didn`t even stir when he heard Stefan enter. The younger Salvatore rushed over and knelt down next to Alaric, checking for a pulse. What a ridiculous thing to be doing as a vampire. “What happened? What did you do?” Stefan asked dismayed. Damon didn`t answer. Simply continued to sit there. “Damon, how could you? Tell me what happened, damn it!” Stefan demanded again.  
   
The older one shrugged. “All I did was tell him the truth. His wife didn't want him anymore. It's not my fault he couldn't handle it.” he murmured, not bothering to tell his brother that it hadn`t been him who killed Alaric. Stefan probably wouldn`t believe him anyways. “Like you've been handling Katherine?” the younger vampire mocked. Damon glared at him. “I'm handling it fine.” He drained his glass and pointed to Alaric. “I'm assuming you'll take care of this.”   
   
Without waiting for a reply he strolled out of the room, feigning nonchalance. Acting, hiding his true feelings – that was an art he had perfected over the years. His brother didn`t need to know how Ric`s death was affecting him. 

He had thought about telling him the truth. Maybe even taking the compulsion off. Hadn`t been sure yet, if it would be a good idea to allow Ric to remember. All this time he had wondered if something might have gone wrong two years ago and if the teacher remembered him. And then Ric showed up here tonight. But not because of him. No, because of Isobel of all people.

The dark haired vampire walked upstairs slowly, but stopped dead in his tracks when he suddenly heard a gasp, followed by Alaric`s voice. “What happened? What's going on?”   
   
For a second Damon actually thought he was hallucinating. It simply couldn´t be real. Obviously Stefan was just as shocked as him, for Damon heard him stammering downstairs. “You were just... Did Damon turn you?” The words almost made Damon rush back downstairs. He remembered Logan Fell. What if Anna or one of her lackeys had slipped Ric vampire blood as well? It would mean he was in transition and once he turned … he would remember.  
   
“No. I … I went for him and then the, uh… the other guy.. he stabbed me.” he heard Ric mumble. “No, no, no. You must have vampire blood in your system. Somebody slipped it to you.” Stefan protested, seemingly not even realizing exactly what the teacher had said. Damon was still standing on top of the stairs, listening.   
   
“No. It's, uh.. it's something else.” Ric muttered. Damon frowned, wondering what he was getting at. There was no other way he could be alive. “I, uh... Isobel. She gave me this ring. It protected me.” the teacher said after a while. “That's impossible.” Stefan protested and Damon had to agree with him. But Ric insisted on his explanation, stating he felt fine, no craving for blood, no strange hunger, nothing. It was simply too crazy to be true. Then again Damon had been around a long time. He´d seen many strange things and had learned not to question them. If it really had been the ring, it must be magical. Spelled by some witch, he supposed.  
   
Downstairs Stefan finally realized what Ric had said, about some other guy killing him and questioned him about it. Damon rolled his eyes. Really perceptive, Stef, he thought sarcastically. “I don`t know. Some vampire. He came through the window and attacked Damon. There were two of them actually, a man and a woman.” the teacher replied, before insisting that he didn`t remember anymore, since he`d obviously been dead then. “I`ll just.. go home now.” he muttered.   
   
Damon remained where he was, stared down at the retreating figure with a mixture of relief and intrigue. Alaric stopped in front of the door and turned to look up at him, almost as if he`d felt the vampire`s eyes on himself. Their eyes met for a second and Damon`s breath caught in his throat. Then Ric opened the door and left.  
   
Seconds later Stefan appeared. He stopped in surprise when he spied Damon standing on the staircase. “Did you hear…?” The older one nodded. “You should probably ask the little witch to check out that ring.” he suggested. Stefan gave him a questioning look. “You think the ring is spelled?” Damon rolled his eyes. “I think rings don`t usually revive dead people. What other explanation could there be?” His brother looked thoughtful for a minute. Then he nodded. “You could be right about that. But I can`t ask Bonnie. She just lost her grandmother. Because of us. She must hate us, Damon.”  
   
The dark haired vampire sighed in annoyance. “She`ll get over it.” He turned and was about to head to his room when Stefan`s voice stopped him. “Damon, wait.” He looked back at his brother, eyebrows raised in question. “Why didn`t you tell me about the other vampires? You let me believe you had killed Alaric.” The older one shrugged. “I probably would have, if those tomb vamps hadn`t interrupted our little discussion. So what does it matter?” His emotionless mask was back in place, giving nothing away.   
   
Stefan frowned. “You think they were in the tomb?” he asked, ignoring the other comment. “Correction – I know they were in the tomb. I recognized the girl. She`s dead by the way. And unlike our friend Alaric she won`t be getting up again anytime soon.” Damon informed his brother, finally continuing towards his bedroom. He debated calling sheriff Forbes, but decided to postpone it until tomorrow and just go to bed. The day had been strange and tiring enough.


	5. Chapter 5

Early next morning Damon drove to the sheriff’s office and presented the dead vampire to sheriff Forbes. She waived a few deputies over who took the body away. “Do you have any idea if there are more of them out there?” she asked worriedly. Damon shrugged. “I don`t know. But I think we should be careful. It`s possible.” Liz nodded grimly. “I`m just glad we have you. You`re good at this. I don´t know what we`d do without you.” she told him sincerely. Damon shrugged it off. “Actually … I wasn`t alone this time.” He had no idea what possessed him to say that. But it was too late to take it back now. Liz was already looking at him questioningly. “You had help?”  
   
Okay, might as well go through with it. “Alaric Saltzman. The new history teacher. Turns out he knows quite a lot about the history of Mystic Falls.” Damon went on, absently wondering if it was such a good idea to point the sheriff towards Ric. The teacher might take the chance to out Damon as a vampire. But somehow he refused to believe that.   
   
Still couldn`t hurt to be careful. “Don`t question him about it, though. I think he`s still a little shaken up over the whole encounter. He`ll need some time. But I think he could be a valuable ally.” Liz nodded slowly. “Alright. If you think he can be trusted… I`ll leave it up to you to deal with him. We`ll take all the help we can get.” Damon promised to keep her up to date and then took his leave, wondering what the hell he`d been thinking by bringing Ric into this.   
   
When he entered the boarding house again, he found Pearl and Anna waiting for him. “Ever hear of knocking?” he asked annoyed. Why were they still here? “An invitation wasn’t necessary. I’m surprised that no living person resides here. Is it just you and your brother? How do you keep out unwelcome vampires?” Pearl asked. Damon gave her a tight smile and muttered that he just killed them. He ran towards Pearl and tried to strangle her, but she was too strong and overpowered him easily. “Have a seat, Damon. I was hoping we could have a word.” Gritting his teeth he complied.  
   
Pearl let him know that they had taken up residence at a farmhouse just outside the town. “All 25 vampires?” he asked, shocked at the prospect that really all of them could have escaped from the tomb. Bonnie must`ve screwed up her little hocus pocus This wasn`t what he`d planned, but lately his brilliant plans seemed to fail more often than not. Pearl shrugged it off. “Not all, some. I imagine that a few have already left town. Others are probably still in the woods.”   
   
Just great. Those stupid witches had really unleashed all 25 vampires. And it had all been for nothing. Could it get any worse?   
   
Obviously it could, because Pearl demanded that he helped them plot revenge on the council and take over Mystic Falls. Thanks to Anna snooping around she knew that Damon had infiltrated the council and was supplying the town with vervain. “I'll need to know everything they know. Starting with a listing names of all the council members and their families as well as everyone you’ve supplied with vervain. Of course that will have to stop immediately.” she ordered. Damon looked at her like she`d gone mad and told her exactly where she could stick her plans.   
   
Pearl just smiled at him like he was some stupid schoolboy. In her eyes he probably was. “As a reward for your help I’m willing to give you what you want most.” she offered. “I want nothing.” he spat, watching in mild alarm as Pearl´s smile grew wider. “Katherine.” A few month ago the mentioning of her name alone would have spurred him into action. But now it didn`t. He`d spoken to Anna after they had opened the tomb, after he had learned that Katherine had never been inside. She had told him that Katherine had known where he was the whole time. She hadn`t wanted to see him. The love of his life had only been toying with him, had actually always favoured Stefan.   
   
As much as he wanted to believe that Anna had only said those things to hurt him, deep down he`d known she told the truth. Maybe he`d always known. He had spent 145 years chasing after a woman who never loved him. It hurt like hell, but once he´d gotten over the initial hurt, it had also been strangely liberating. He was free now. His obsession with Katherine finally broken. He could move on. And he would.  
   
“I no longer have any desire to see Katherine ever again. She can rot in hell for all I care. And there’s no way in hell I’m gonna play the role of your little minion.” he spat. And he meant every word. Unfortunately Pearl didn`t take no for an answer. “I’m not asking for your help, Damon. Finding Katherine was just a mere gesture of kindness. The rest is non-negotiable. You will do as I say.” She pushed him to the floor and loomed over him like a goddess of death. “I have four hundred years on you, little boy. I'll rip you from limb to limb without even blinking and you know it.” she threatened. And he didn`t doubt for a second that she could.  
   
With a grim smile she hauled him up again and pushed him down onto the couch, promising to stay in touch. He watched the two women leave the house, stifling a groan at the unfairness of it all.  
   
***  
   
From there on things only got worse. Stefan had left the house this morning to go hunting. Now it was early afternoon and he had yet to return. When Damon couldn`t reach him on his cell phone he started to get worried. Calling Elena proved completely useless, since the stupid girl just didn`t answer her phone. In the end he drove to her house.   
   
Elena opened the door and started snarking at him immediately and he wondered if the bitchiness was a special trait that ran in the family. Katherine had certainly always been a heartless bitch and Isobel was just as bad. “Is Stefan here?” he asked, ignoring the dark look Elena was giving him. That effectively shut her up. “No. Why? Something wrong?” she asked, getting worried immediately. “He went out in the woods and didn't come back. I can't get him on his phone. I figured he was here with you.” Damon told her honestly.  
   
Elena frowned and tried to call Stefan herself. “It's going straight to voice-mail. Where could he be?” Damon sighed. “You're not going to like what I'm thinking.”  
   
He left the house without waiting for her reply and rushed to the old farmhouse Pearl had mentioned. It had been raining all day and the storm was only getting worse. Despite the early hour it was dark outside, heavy clouds hiding the sun. This day was really getting worse and worse. Arriving at the house he banged on the door, waited impatiently, his pissy mood growing by the second. Finally the door opened to reveal the guy from last night. Frederick, he suddenly remembered.   
   
“Pearl's not home. Hmm. Beautiful weather. Not a ray of sun in the sky.” Frederick muttered with a grin. It was a threat. Damon was all too aware of that. But it didn`t make him back down. “Where's my brother?” he demanded. Frederick smiled and motioned to someone Damon couldn`t see. Seconds later two vampires dragged Stefan into the hallway. The younger Salvatore was bleeding from several wounds and groaning in pain. Damon tried to rush to his brother`s aid, but couldn´t get past the threshold.   
   
“I'm sorry. You haven't been invited in.” Frederick mocked, before ordering the owner of the house, some poor middle aged lady, never to let Damon in. The older Salvatore had to watch helplessly as one of the other vampires stabbed Stefan with a stake. “145 years left starving in a tomb, thanks to Katherine's infatuation with you and your brother. First few weeks, every single nerve in your body screams with fire. The kind of pain that can drive a person mad. Well... I thought your brother might want to get a taste of that before I killed him.” Frederick told him with a cruel grin. Then he simply shut the door in Damon´s face.  
   
The dark haired vampire banged against the door again, yelled and spat curses, but it was no use. Calming down he realized that he needed a plan, if he wanted to free Stefan without getting both of them killed in the process. And he needed help. Since he couldn`t call sheriff Forbes for obvious reasons that left only one option.


	6. Chapter 6

After picking up Elena, something he soon regretted when she continued yapping at him the whole time, Damon drove to the school. He spied Alaric in the hallway and quickly stepped into his way. The teacher looked at him warily. “Well, don't you look... alive?” Damon murmured, letting his eyes rake over the teacher`s body in appreciation. Ric fidgeted under his stare, but didn`t back down. “You can't hurt me.” he claimed. The vampire was about to retort, when Elena showed up and interrupted them, stating that they needed Alaric`s help. The teacher hesitated, but finally motioned for them to follow him.  
   
He led the two of them into his classroom and sat down, looking at Elena expectantly and pretending to ignore Damon. The vampire rolled his eyes, but left it to Elena to inform the teacher of what had happened. “Stefan's in the house. Damon's a vampire. He can't get in. We need you. I would go, but...”  
   
“But I can`t get my brother out and protect Miss trouble-magnet at the same time. You on the other hand…” Damon interrupted her speech. “Stefan told me about your ring.” Elena spoke up again, giving Damon a glare. Alaric stubbornly crossed his arms and shrugged. “What about it?” Great, he wasn`t really going to pretend he didn`t know what they were talking about, was he? Damon sighed in annoyance. “Let me recap...You tried to kill me. I defended myself. Those tomb vampires showed up. You died. Then according to my brother, your ring brought you back to life. Am I leaving anything out?” the vampire said sarcastically.  
   
“Yeah. The part where I try to kill you again. Only this time, I don't miss.” Alaric snarked back. This was really getting old. Damon was seriously contemplating telling the teacher the whole truth about their shared past. But he`d rather do it without Elena there. Speaking of Elena, of course she couldn`t keep her mouth shut. “Mr. Saltzman. Please. It's Stefan.” she pleaded. Unfortunately Ric seemed immune to her puppy dog look, because he just hold her it wasn`t his problem. Damon had to give him credit for his stubbornness. But they didn`t have time for that right now.  
   
“That`s a shame, cause you know, the guy who kidnapped my brother is also the guy who killed you. Thought you might want to get revenge.” Alaric looked like was contemplating it and Damon knew he had won, even if the teacher told them it still wasn`t his problem. Damon shrugged and turned to leave. “Okay, then I`ll just have to endanger Elena`s life. Coward. Come on, Elena.” He took a few steps towards the door, not surprised when Ric called out: “All right! Wait. I'll go.” The vampire turned back to him, not even trying to hide the triumphant smirk.  
   
Alaric glared at him for a moment, but then turned to pull a duffel bag out of his locker and started unpacking weapons. Damon was quite impressed about the arsenal of vampire hunting weapons. But he`d be damned if he let the teacher know that. “Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night.” he commented with a grin. Ric glanced up at him. “I've you to thank for that.” Damon`s grin didn`t falter. Ric would never use those weapons against him. He would make sure of that.  
   
Alaric explained the different weapons to Elena – a blow dart gun, modified to shoot wooden stakes, tranquilizer darts filled with vervain, a specially designed crossbow. Damon watched with interest. The teacher was really prepared. But he wouldn`t take any chances. “Just get me in. I'll get Stefan out.” he decided. Of course Elena wouldn`t listen and still insisted on coming with them. Ric left it to Damon to argue with her and the damn girl proved to be very persistent. “You need me. I'll get in. You could distract them, and then I'll get Stefan out.” she reasoned.  
   
Ignoring her, Damon to turned to Alaric. “Just get me in and then get out as quickly as you can. I know how to sneak around where they can't hear me. You'll basically just be in the way.” The teacher frowned at him, obviously not happy with this plan, but he didn`t say anything. Elena on the other hand was still talking. “You can't stop me. It's Stefan we're talking about here. You don't understand.” The vampire rolled his eyes and wondered how his brother put up with that on a daily basis.   
   
“I can't protect you, Elena. I don't know how many vampires are in there. You`ll only get your head ripped off. I have to be able to get in and get out. I can't be distracted with your safety. Or this will end up in a bloodbath that none of us walks away from...Including Stefan. And I do get it. I understand.“ he finally snapped at her. Elena still didn´t back down, just continued to stare at him. And was she seriously pouting now?   
   
“If we're gonna go, let's go.” Alaric stepped in. Damon looked at him and nodded. Since Elena was still insisting on coming with them, he told her to drive the car, hoping this would keep her out of his way.  
   
***  
   
The storm was raging with full force when they reached the old farmhouse, complete with pouring rain and howling wind that ripped at the branches. They parked the car a short distance away, hidden in the woods. “Stay where you are.” Damon ordered upon getting out. Elena simply glared at him, but he had no time worry about her right now. Moving quickly he and Alaric crept towards the house. Damon went around to the back door, while Ric went to the front and used a trick to get inside. Damon listened to him talking, glad when their plan seemed to be working out.  
   
Only a few minutes later the back door opened to reveal Alaric and Miss Gibbons, the middle aged woman who owned the house. Behind them Damon could see a vampire with a stake protruding from his chest. Ric was good, the vampire had to admit. The teacher asked the woman to invite Damon in, but she refused. She`d been compelled never to let him in, Damon remembered. Rolling his eyes he ordered Ric to get her out of the house, a little surprised when the teacher actually complied without question.   
   
“Miss Gibbons, tell me the truth. Are you married? Parents, children, anyone else who lives on this property?” the dark haired vampire asked. She shook her head. “No. It's just me.” That`s what Damon had been hoping for. He broke her neck without a second thought and stepped over the threshold. Alaric stared at him in shock. “You were supposed to compel her.” he protested. “It doesn't work that way...” Damon shot back. “She is human.” Ric snapped.  
   
Damn, they had no time for the teacher`s attack of conscience right now. “And I'm not! So I don't care. She was as good as dead anyway, if it`s any consolation to you. Now, get out of here. And get rid of the body!” he ordered, moving past Ric without waiting for a reply.   
   
It didn`t take long for the next vampire to come looking for Ric. Damon´s attack took him by surprise and he died without fighting back. The dark haired vampire moved on and quickly found the stairs that led down to the cellar, where he figured they kept Stefan. Sure enough he found a man standing guard by a door at the end of the hallway. Damon rushed over and killed him quickly. Looking up he cursed under his breath when he spotted Elena. He should have known the stupid girl wouldn`t stay put. “Are you insane?” he hissed, but she ignored him. Admitting defeat Damon allowed her to follow him into the cell.  
   
Stefan was hanging from the ceiling, the rope they had used burning into his wrists. Across from him some other vampire Damon vaguely recognized was tied to a chair. “Elena...You shouldn't be here...” the younger Salvatore gasped in shock. “She was supposed to stay in the car.” Damon grumbled, moving to stake the other vampire, but Stefan stopped him, claiming the guy had tried to help him. The older Salvatore shrugged and was about to free Stefan, when his brother warned him that there was vervain on the ropes. “Elena, pull that.” Damon ordered. She complied quickly and Stefan was freed within minutes. Of course his stupid saint of a brother and his equally stupid girlfriend insisted on freeing the other vampire, before finally leaving the cell.  
   
By that time another vampire had shown up. Damon killed him, but he was pretty sure the rest of them must be getting suspicious by now. He turned to Elena and told her to get Stefan to the car, knowing they would only hold him up. “What about you?” Elena protested and Damon felt ready to strangle her. He`d never take her on a rescue mission again, that was for sure. “You rescue, I'll distract. Go.” he ordered harshly, moving before she could protest again. Within seconds he was upstairs. And not a second too soon, because the tomb vampires had just started searching the house.  
   
Damon moved through the rooms quickly, killing another two vampires with relative ease. He saw Frederick entering the room and attacked him, but was quickly pulled off by two more. Frederick sped off and Damon was left fighting the other two. He was running out of weapons and he was outnumbered. His strength was waning. One of the vampires pushed him down, but crumbled to the ground himself with a stake in his chest seconds later. Damon looked up in surprise and spied Alaric standing in the hallway, crossbow in hand. The sight made his heart beat a little faster. He´d come back for him. Okay, probably more for Elena. But it was a start.  
   
He nodded his thanks and went after Frederick, but the other vampire had disappeared. Returning to the hallway Damon found Ric taking down another vampire. “Frederick's gone.” The teacher nodded grimly. He was bleeding from a shallow wound on his neck, but seemed otherwise unharmed. “Let's get out of here.” They moved to the door, but stopped on the porch when they saw more vampires approaching the house. Fuck, how many of them were there? “How many of those vervain darts do you have left?” Damon asked. Ric looked at him with a frown. “One.” Just great. “Not gonna be enough.” the dark haired vampire commented, motioning for the teacher to follow him back into the house. They were in serious trouble.  
   
They locked the door, knowing it wouldn`t do much good, but trying anyway. It didn`t take the vampires long to reach the house. Already they were banging on the door, trying to bring it down. Not long and it would give way. Damon took on a fighting stance, noticed Ric next to him doing the same and had to smile despite their fucked up situation.   
   
The door gave way with a splintering sound, but suddenly a female voice outside shouted: “Stop. What's going on here?” Pearl entered the room, glared at Damon. “What did you do?” The dark haired vampire glared right back. “Me? Your merry little band of vampires spent the day torturing my brother.” She had the decency to look shocked and promised to ‘deal with the parties responsible for this’, as she put it. Damon snorted. Yeah, right. “This wasn't supposed to happen.” Pearl assured him. “Well, it did. If I had a good side...Not a way to get on it.” he spat, turning to leave.  
   
Alaric followed him quietly. They found Stefan and Elena by the car. Next to it Frederick was pinned to a tree, messily staked with a branch. Damon looked at his brother with raised eyebrows. “Care to explain?” Stefan still seemed weak, though not as weak as before. Elena`s bleeding wrist and the fact that his brother wouldn`t look him in the eye told Damon the rest of the story. “Let`s just go home.” Elena pleaded. Damon exchanged a quick glance with Alaric, who seemed to have put two and two together as well and nodded.  
   
***  
   
After making sure that Elena and Stefan were both safely home, Damon decided he really needed a drink. Upon entering the Mystic Grill he was pleasantly surprised to discover that Alaric had the same idea. Grinning he joined the teacher at the bar. “That was fun.” Alaric gave him a disgusted look and Damon rolled his eyes. “Oh, don't look at me like that. You can't deny it. We were bad ass.”   
   
Ric shook his head and got up. He frowned down on the vampire, seemed to be debating with himself for a second. Then he punched Damon in the face – hard – and left. The vampire touched his chin, noting Ric`s considerable strength. Not exactly like he`d pictured this meeting to go down. He looked at the teacher`s retreating figure and decided it was time for some truth.  
   
***  
   
Alaric walked towards his car, feeling pretty pleased with himself for punching Damon. Who the hell did the vampire think he was? Just because Ric had helped him didn`t mean they were suddenly friends. And he still couldn`t believe he had actually helped the obnoxious vampire, had saved his ass and fought side by side with him. What the hell had he been thinking? He should have left Damon alone to fend for himself. Or maybe used the chance to kill him. But instead he had saved him. Without thinking twice about it.   
   
He just couldn`t deny that the vampire had gotten under his skin. His thoughts revolved around Damon constantly. He tried to tell himself that he was only trying to figure out the best way to kill him. Because even if Damon hadn`t killed his wife, he had still turned her. Taken her away from Ric. But the more he thought about it, the more his anger deflated and he wondered what he was even doing here. Isobel had chosen to leave him. He had lost her long before that night, now that he thought about it.   
   
She had become distant, had engrossed herself in work more and more. She hadn´t been home for days and when she finally returned she hadn´t offered an explanation. They had fought a lot in those last weeks. Ric had always put up with her weirdness, her strange obsession for vampires and other supernatural things, but it had finally gotten too much. Now that he knew what had happened to her, her weird behaviour was starting to make sense. When she had given him that ring, made him promise to always wear it… It had been a way of saying goodbye, he realized.  
   
The teacher stopped abruptly, startled out of his musings, when he rounded the corner and nearly collided with Damon. He had thought the vampire would still be sitting at the bar, but obviously Damon had used his supernatural speed to intercept him before he could reach his car. Alaric looked at him warily, noting with growing unease that they were completely alone in the dark alley. Why hadn`t he parked closer to the Grill? And more importantly, why hadn`t he packed any weapons? If Damon attacked him now he would be defenceless.  
   
The vampire however seemed strangely calm. He took a step towards Alaric, who in turn took a step back. Damon smiled at this and took another step forward, still without saying a word. They continued this game until Ric suddenly found himself with his back to a wall. No more chance of escape. “We were good today, Ric. And you had fun. Admit it.” Damon murmured. The teacher frowned. “I don´t know what you consider fun, but my idea of fun is certainly different.” he shot back, wondering what kind of game the vampire was playing now.  
   
“You can deny it all you want. I know you enjoyed it. The exhilaration of the fight, the rush of killing those vampires…” Damon droned on. Once again he was watching Ric with this spooky intense look, like he could see right through him. The teacher was glad for the vervain-bracelet he had taken to wearing. The vampire´s closeness was distracting enough, but he`d be damned if he let Damon know that. “Don`t act like you know me.” the teacher spat, trying to put as much venom into the words as possible.  
   
Damon´s smile grew wider. “But I do know you, Ric. And you knew me. Once.” he murmured. The man looked at him in confusion. What was that supposed to mean? “I`ve got no idea what you`re talking about.” he admitted. “I`m talking about the fact that we`ve known each other. Long before you came to Mystic Falls. Before I turned Isobel.” Damon explained. Ric snorted. “I think I`d remember that.” The vampire blinked, shook his head. “You would. Only, you can`t. See, the things is … I compelled you. Made you forget.” he admitted.  
   
Ric couldn`t believe what he was hearing. It simply couldn`t be true. The vampire was only toying with him. He was lying. He had to be. Still the teacher felt at a loss for words. Damon used his momentary inaction to take another step forward, now fully invading his personal space. Alaric`s heart was racing, the breath caught in his throat. Damon seemed unaware. “When you came up to me at the party, started chatting me up… For a second there I thought you remembered.” he went on.  
   
He raised his hand, let one finger trace down Alaric`s chest. His voice dropped even further, was barely above a whisper now. “But maybe you do. On some level.” Ric pressed himself to the wall behind him, his hands balled to fists at his sides. His treacherous body was betraying him, responding to the vampire`s closeness, his feather light touch in an embarrassing way. The urge to kiss Damon was warring with the urge to punch him again.  
   
Finally shaking himself out of his trance, Ric brought both hands up and pushed Damon away. The vampire actually stumbled backwards, either caught by surprise or to humour the teacher, Ric couldn`t tell. He knew that he usually would be no match for Damon´s strength. “Stop messing with my head. You`re lying!” he accused, angry at himself that the vampire could get to him like that. “But I`m not. I`m completely honest here.” Damon claimed. “I could prove it to you. Take the compulsion off.” he offered.  
   
“No way. You`re not actually expecting me to be that stupid? I`m not allowing you to play with my mind.” the teacher stated, now pretty sure that Damon was really just trying to mess with him. The vampire stepped closer again. “You know, I was debating with myself, whether I should tell you or not, wondering if it would be a good idea to make you remember. I hadn`t really expected to ever see you again. But now I want you to remember.” he whispered. Ric tried to push him off, but this time Damon wouldn`t budge and the teacher found himself pinned to the wall instead. Damon´s body was pressed against his, his face mere inches from Alaric`s. It was so tempting, but the teacher was determined not to give in.  
   
“I`m telling the truth, Ric.” Damon stated again. “Want me to prove it? How about that scar on your left knee? You fell off the swing and injured yourself on a broken bottle while your mother wasn`t paying attention. How old were you again, four?” The teacher blinked in surprise. “How…?” Damon grinned and took a step back. “Told you. I know a lot about you. If you`re ready to get your memories back, you know where to find me.” he turned and walked away, left the teacher staring after him open mouthed. It simply couldn`t be true. Isobel must`ve told him. Yes, that was the only logic explanation.  
   
But then he realized with a start that he`d never told Isobel how and when he`d gotten that scar. She hadn`t known. Closing his eyes in defeat Ric slumped back against the wall. What the hell?


	7. Chapter 7

“Okay guys, I want you all to write me a paper on the current subject. You`ve got one week. And Wikipedia copies will be marked with an F. Without exception.” Alaric stated, shooting Tyler a pointed look. He didn´t care if the guy was the Mayor`s son and star of the football team. The same rules applied for him as for anyone else. The students groaned and grumbled about the homework, while they packed their things and slowly filed out of the room. Ric watched them go, noting absent-mindedly that Stefan and Elena lingered.

 

A little over a week had gone by since Stefan`s capture and rescue and today was the first day he was back at school. Ric had been watching him discreetly, but he seemed to have recovered pretty well. He was a little edgy maybe, but the teacher wasn`t really sure if that was anything new. He hadn`t had all that much dealings with Stefan until very recently and the vampire skipped class more often than not. 

 

The teacher sat down on the edge of his desk and watched the two approach. Stefan seemed uncomfortable, kept his eyes downcast. “I just wanted to say thank you. For helping Damon and Elena to save me.” he mumbled. Ric shrugged. “I`m not sure if I was all that much of a help.” Finally the vampire met his eyes. Up this close Ric noticed that he had definitely looked better. “From what Elena told me, they couldn`t have done it without you. And I know you had no reason to help me. After everything Damon has done. So thank you. And if I can do anything to repay you…”

 

The mention of the older Salvatore made Ric stiffen. He hadn`t seen Damon since their encounter behind the Grill, but he had thought a lot about his words. He still wasn`t a hundred percent sure if he believed what Damon had said. If it weren`t for that tiny fact at the end he would write it off as Damon trying to mess with his head. But there was no way the vampire could know about his scar. It was driving Ric mad. This uncertainty and the many questions. Had he really known Damon? And how well? He just couldn`t go on not knowing. But he didn`t trust Damon. So if Stefan offered a favour, maybe he should take him up on the offer?

 

Clearing his throat he looked at the vampire. “Well… maybe there is something I could use your help with.” Stefan blinked, obviously surprised that the teacher really wanted to cash in the offered favour. “Sure. What is it?” Ric hesitated, wondered if it was such a good idea to bring Stefan into this. But he trusted the vampire. At least more than Damon. And he really wanted to know the truth. So he took a deep breath and declared: “I need you to compel me.”

 

Stefan actually stumbled a step backwards at his unexpected request. “You want me to…? Why?” he asked. Elena looked just as shocked as her boyfriend. “There`s something Damon said to me. I just… I just need to know if it´s true.” The uncertainty was killing him. “What did he say?” Elena wanted to know. “He claims that I`ve known him. Before he turned Isobel. He said he compelled me to forget.” Ric told them. The younger Salvatore gave him an almost pitying look. “You shouldn`t believe anything Damon says. He`s toying with you. That´s his thing. Mind games, lies.. he`s good at that.”

 

Elena nodded enigmatically. “Stefan is right. You should just ignore Damon. He tried that stuff with me, too. Just forget what he said.” The teacher sighed. Just forget it. Good advice. He would love to, but he simply couldn`t. “I normally wouldn´t believe him, trust me. At first I was convinced that he was just messing with my head. But he knows things about me… About a scar and how I got it. He can`t know that.” Ric muttered. He had spent the whole week wondering how Damon could have found out. The answer was simple. He couldn`t. Not if Ric hadn`t told the vampire himself. No-one but his parents knew about that little accident from his childhood days. And he seriously doubted the vampire had visited his parents.

 

Elena and Stefan looked thoughtful. “Maybe Isobel told him?” the girl suggested. Ric shook his head. “She didn`t know. No-one but my parents knows this story.” He was sure of it. “Damon offered to take the compulsion off, but I don´t trust him. I`m afraid he might plant false memories into my head if he gets the chance. You wouldn`t do that. So I need you to compel me and undo whatever Damon has done.” the teacher explained. “If there´s really something he made me forget, I just need to know.” Elena smiled in sympathy and told him she could understand, but Stefan looked troubled.

 

“I can`t help you, Alaric. I`m sorry.” The teacher wanted to scream in frustration. What the hell was Stefan`s problem? He was allowing him to use compulsion, so he didn`t need to feel bad for doing it. And he would only undo the damage his brother had done. Ric opened his mouth to protest, but Stefan cut him off. “It`s not that I don`t want to. I simply can`t. I`m not strong enough to override Damon´s compulsion. It´s the animal blood. I`m weaker than Damon. It wouldn`t work.” He looked truly apologetic. Ric cursed under his breath. That was something he hadn´t thought about.

 

“I have an idea.” Elena suddenly spoke up. “Why don`t you ask Damon to take the compulsion off while we`re there as well? That way Stefan and I could make sure that he doesn`t give you any false memories.” Alaric looked at her in surprise, wondering why he hadn`t thought of this earlier. “That´s a good idea. You´d have to listen closely to what exactly he`s saying. But he couldn`t really mess with my mind with you two there.” he agreed. Elena grinned at him, pleased about her plan. Stefan nodded his assent as well. “Come over to the boarding house later. Damon should be home and we`ll be there as well.” he promised. Ric thanked him and agreed to show up.

 

***

 

About two hours after school was done for the day the teacher found himself standing in front of the boarding house. His heart was hammering and he felt nervous as hell. He couldn´t help but wonder what he would remember and if he really wanted those memories back. Taking a deep breath he finally knocked. No way to find out but to try. The door opened seconds later to reveal Stefan. “Come in. Damon`s in the library.” Alaric followed the younger Salvatore inside, where Elena was already waiting as well. They entered the library and found Damon lounging on the couch, a glass of bourbon in one hand and a book in the other.

 

He set the book down and looked at the three of them with a frown. “Did I miss something?” Ric took a hesitant step forward. “You said you compelled me to forget something and to find you when I want those memories back. Well, I want them back now.” A sly smile spread over Damon´s lips. “Do you now? Well, in that case I`m happy to oblige. Follow me.” He drained his drink, got up and went to the door, but Ric didn`t budge. “Where?” he asked suspiciously. The dark haired vampire shrugged. “My room?”

 

“Why not here?” the teacher wanted to know. “Why not in my room?” Damon mimicked and Ric felt the urge to strangle him. “I don`t trust you.” Damon`s lips twitched. “But you trusted me once.” he claimed, sounding pretty sure of that. “Well, unfortunately I can`t remember. So I want Stefan and Elena to be there so they can make sure you don`t plant false memories into my head.” The vampire looked like he wanted to argue. Surprisingly enough, he didn`t. He just stared at Ric for a second. Then he rolled his eyes and heaved a dramatic sigh. “Alright, if you insist. Let`s do it here.”

 

He walked over to Ric, stopped directly in front of him and the teacher felt his nervousness spike. Damon´s closeness did ridiculous things to his body that made him wonder if his subconscious remembered something he didn`t. “I suppose you`ve still got vervain on you?” the vampire guessed. Alaric hesitated a second. Then he took off the bracelet and handed it to Elena. Damon moved even closer. It took all of Ric`s willpower to stay still and meet that blue eyed stare. His heart was pounding and his knees felt weak.

 

He watched fascinated how the vampire`s eyes darkened. Damon´s voice sounded hypnotic and oh so close. “I want you to remember everything I made you forget.” It took only a few seconds. Then Damon lowered his eyes and took a step back. Ric shook his head, blinked, a little disoriented. Gasped when all of a sudden his mind was flooded with images. Damon and him in the kitchen of his and Isobel`s apartment, lounging together on the couch, sitting in a car, walking through a park, drinking at a bar. The two of them laughing, drinking, talking... So many memories. So much he`d forgotten. They had been friends. And so much more.

 

Damon was watching him with an unreadable expression. Ric stumbled backwards, right into Stefan, who reached a hand out to steady him. Elena was at his side in an instant, looking at him worriedly. “Ric? Are you okay?” He couldn`t deal with her right now. Couldn`t deal with anyone right now. So many memories.

 

“Yeah, I just… I`ve.. got to go.” he mumbled and practically fled out of the house. Elena called after him that he`d forgotten his vervain bracelet, but he didn`t care. He needed to get away. Jumping into his car he sped off. Not really knowing what he was doing or where he was going he just drove on. Out of Mystic Falls, further along the street, until he reached the ruins of a deserted old farmhouse. There he parked his car and sat just staring into space. Remembering.

 

FLASHBACK:

 

_Alaric parked his car in front of the apartment building and frowned at the blue camaro in the driveway. For a second he wondered if Isobel had a visitor and debated just leaving again. But no, she wouldn`t. Not at their home._ _She knew the rules._ _And it was already late. Work had taken forever today. He got out of the car and went to the door. The sound of hushed voices greeted him when he entered the apartment, made him stop in his tracks for a moment. Warily he went on, followed the voices to the kitchen, where he found his wife sitting at the table with a guy he didn`t know. Isobel smiled at him. “Hey, Ric.” He bent down to kiss her, noting slightly hurt how she turned away from him. Trying to act nonchalant Ric looked at their visitor._

 

_Blue eyes met his. The guy stood up and held out his hand. “Damon Salvatore, I`m a student of Isobel.” He seemed nice enough, but Ric was pretty sure what student actually meant here. Damon was hot. You`d have to be blind not to notice that. Tall, lean frame, paired with dark hair, sensuous lips and eyes to drown in. Isobel sure knew how to pick them. Ric forced a smile to his face and shook Damon´s hand. “Alaric Saltzman. Pleased to meet you.” Damon nodded. “Yeah, you`re Isobel`s husband. She told me about you.” This surprised Ric, but he tried not to let it show._

 

_Isobel motioned for him to take a seat. She didn`t exactly look pleased at him being there. Ric sat down and turned to Damon. “So, you`re studying to be a parapsychologist like my wife?” he asked, trying to make small talk. The dark haired man nodded. “Yeah. Though I`m mostly interested in witches, actually.” Damon told him. Ric was about to comment, when the ringing of Isobel`s cell phone interrupted them. She looked at it, then quickly got up and excused herself. Alaric suspected that they wouldn`t see her for some time. Lately she spent hours on the phone and even more time at her computer. It was getting beyond frustrating._

 

_Left alone with the stranger, Ric`s eyes were drawn to Damon once more_ _and he felt at a loss for words. The silence was stretching, starting to get uncomfortable. Ric sighed. This was ridiculous. “Are you sleeping with my wife?” Damon´s eyes widened in surprise. Then he chuckled. “No, I`m not. Although she did offer.” Ric nodded. “Yeah, I figured. We`ve…. got an open relationship.” And why was he even telling Damon this? It wasn`t like he wanted the guy to sleep with his wife._

 

_The open relationship had been her idea. At first he had refused, had been appalled and also_ _more than a bit_ _hurt by the idea. Wasn`t she happy with him? What could she get from a stranger that he couldn`t give her? But Isobel hadn`t stopped_ _talking about it._ _They had fought more than once._ _In the end he had agreed just to make her happy. They never talked about it now, but he was sure she must be taking advantage of it. Truth be told, he didn`t want to know._

 

“ _She told me. But I wasn`t interested.” Damon let him know. Must have been a blow for Isobel`s ego, getting turned down. Something she wasn`t used to. She usually got what she wanted. Which was probably the reason Damon was here tonight. She was trying to make him change his mind. Ric`s appearance must have ruined her plans._ _Well, too bad for her._

 

“ _So.. Isobel tells me you`re into history?” Damon asked, steering the conversation towards a less awkward subject. Ric nodded, glad for the change of topic. His marriage problems really weren`t Damon´s fault. “Anything specific?” the dark haired man wanted to know. “I`ve been specializing on the American Civil War lately.” Damon looked interested. “Really? Why this topic?”_

 

“ _I don´t really know. It just fascinates me. The thought of Americans fighting each other because of different opinions and ideals... Pretty stupid, when you think about it._ _Did you know that to this day there are discussions about what exactly caused the war? It´s all very complex and controversial.” Alaric shrugged sheepishly. Ask him about his work and he could start a monologue. He could bore someone to death with it. Damon however didn`t look bored at all. “I know you what you mean. I grew up with all this Civil War stuff. Small southern town, very fond of its history.” he let Ric know._

 

“ _Where exactly did you grow up? If you don`t mind me asking.” Ric asked. “Mystic Falls, Virginia.” Ric frowned. “Never heard of that before, sorry.” he admitted and Damon laughed. “Like I said, small southern town. You`d probably like it. The people there are really into history. They celebrate events, with costumes and stuff.” That did sound interesting. “Maybe I`ll have to visit your town someday.” he mused. Damon smiled. He seemed like a friendly guy and all of a sudden Ric didn`t really mind Isobel bringing him home. “Hey, have you seen that exhibition over in Raleigh?” Damon asked suddenly._

 

“ _No, not yet. I wanted to, but I didn`t have the time.” It was an exhibition focused on the Civil War era, so of course he wanted to see it. But work had kept him pretty busy lately. “I was planning on going to see it on Saturday. Maybe we could go together?” Damon offered. Ric nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I`d like that.” Isobel was completely engrossed in her research at the moment_ _anyways. She wouldn`t miss him and it would be much more fun with someone who was interested in the topic as well. “Cool. I`ll pick you up around… nine?” the dark haired man asked. “Okay. Great.”_

 

 

Alaric smiled at the memory. The exhibition had turned out to be completely boring, so they`d ended up at a bar instead, bonding over a few drinks. There they had sat for hours and talked about anything that came to mind, from their mutual appreciation for bourbon, to family, work and interests. It had been a great day. Back then he`d felt an instant connection with Damon. He had been easy to talk to and Ric had enjoyed his quick wit and dry humour.

 

The teacher noticed that it was already getting dark. He must`ve been sitting here for quite a while. A glance at his cell phone told him that Elena had been trying to reach him. He had given her his number last week, shortly after their rescue mission. Had told her to call him if she needed help again. After all, she was kind of his step-daughter, wasn`t she? Now he debated calling her back, but couldn`t bring himself to do it. He just needed some more time to himself. Shaking his head he started the car and drove back to his apartment.

 

***

 

Upon entering the empty, dark loft Alaric was suddenly struck by another memory…

 

 

FLASHBACK

 

_Tired after a long day of work Ric entered the apartment building. He wondered absently if Isobel would be back tonight. She had disappeared two days ago, without telling him where she was going or when she`d come back. He`d come home to find a note, stating that she had to go check something out. He hadn`t heard from her since. And the really sad thing about it all was that he didn´t really care. This had become almost normal lately and he had long since given up on scolding her about it or trying to reach her on her cell phone, demanding to know where she was. Not for the first time he wondered if their marriage was spiralling to an end._

 

_He entered the apartment and blinked in surprise when he was met by warmth and the smell of Italian food. Isobel`s cooking skills were worse than his. Curious he went on, but stopped dead in his tracks once he reached the kitchen. “Damon?” The dark haired man looked over his shoulder with a grin. “Hey, Ric. Perfect timing. Dinner will be ready in five minutes.” Ric watched him bustling around the kitchen, stirring something in a pot, adding some spice to another. He looked weirdly domestic and not at all out of place. “You broke into my apartment to cook for me?” Just when he thought the guy couldn`t surprise him anymore._

 

“ _I didn`t actually break in. I found the key. You really should find a better hiding place than under the doormat. Way too easy to figure out, my friend.” Damon chastised, walking over and handing Ric a glass of wine. “And as for the cooking… Well, I didn´t see Isobel today, so I figured she was still off somewhere and you`d be all alone at home. And since I had some free time I thought I`d stop by and feed you.” Their hands brushed together when Ric accepted the glass and he shuddered. His breath hitched slightly. It often did when he came this close to his friend. Damon´s eyes were mesmerizing, making it hard to look away. “What would I do without you?” Ric joked, trying to lighten the mood._

 

_Damon smiled and returned to the stove, calling over his shoulder. ”You`d be ordering pizza right now.” Ric laughed, because that was exactly what he`d planned to do. His friend knew him too well. ”Guilty.” he chuckled, taking a sip of his wine, savouring the flavour. “Hmm, that`s good stuff. You spoil me.” Damon glanced at him, a smile playing about his lips. “Someone has to.”_

 

 

Alaric slumped down on the couch. The memories were overwhelming him. Remembering their shared past he couldn`t believe that he had spent the last two years hating Damon and plotting his death. He was suddenly glad that he hadn`t succeeded in killing the vampire. And he knew he would never try again. He felt torn. Considering their history he couldn`t help but like the dark haired vampire. They had spent so much time together, shared so much. But he was also angry at him for taking away his memories. He felt betrayed. Even more so now that he remembered how close they had been. He wanted to yell at him, to punch him again. Had their friendship really meant so little to Damon? Had it only been an act?

 

Ric`s head was spinning and he felt extremely tired. A glance at his watch told him that it was close to midnight. Tomorrow was a school day. He`d have to face his students, face Elena and Stefan, who were probably worried about him. Who would want an explanation for his hasty departure. He wasn`t looking forward to explaining anything. Wasn`t sure how much he wanted them to know. If he wanted them to know anything at all.

 

Sighing he got up and went to bed, but he couldn`t sleep. He lay awake, tossing and turning, caught in the memories of long evenings spent at bars or in front of the TV, of walks through the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at university, joking around and making fun of the lovesick couples. Of meeting up for a quick coffee in the afternoon that ended with them talking for at least an hour more often than not. Of making dinner together or getting hammered when Isobel wasn`t home, playing stupid drinking games until Ric couldn`t see straight. Of Damon spending the night on their couch and waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, bacon and eggs and finding the vampire bustling around the kitchen.

 

And as the night wore on he also remembered how their friendship had taken a change.

 

 

FLASHBACK

 

_Ric entered the apartment, frowning at how dark it was. He turned on the light and went to the kitchen, not really surprised by the note he found there. >Hey Ric, something came up. Had to go check it out. See you soon. Isobel< He crumbled the note and threw it into the trash. It was always the same. He wondered how long she would be gone this time. Last time it had been four days and she hadn´t once felt the need to call. She never did. He had stopped worrying long ago. _

 

_After debating with himself for a moment he grabbed the phone and dialled a familiar number. He wouldn`t sit around alone and mope. “Hey Ric, what`s up?” It was strange how just hearing Damon´s voice made him smile. “Isobel took off again and I really don´t feel like sitting home alone. I thought we could go out for a drink.” He could hear laughter through the phone. “Sounds like a good idea. Especially considering that I already am at a bar. A nice little pub named O`Shea´s to be exact. Wanna meet me there?” Ric grinned. “Absolutely. Just tell me where you are and I`ll join you.” Damon gave him the address and about 20 minutes later they were sitting at the bar, each sipping a glass of their favourite bourbon._

 

_Both were quiet for a while, but the silence wasn`t awkward. Sometimes they enjoyed just spending time together and not many words were needed. Still, something about tonight felt different. Ric was all too aware of Damon´s closeness as they sat side by side. He could smell his aftershave, the distinct scent of his shampoo_ _and when one of them moved they would almost brush against each other. For some reason it made him jittery._

 

“ _Nice pub. How did you find it?” he asked after a while. Damon shrugged. “Stumbled upon it, quite literally. My apartment is just around the corner.” Yes, Ric remembered now. He`d only been to Damon´s apartment once. They usually spent their time either at Ric and Isobel`s home or they went out. “Right. I almost forgot. Been some time since I visited you.” he mumbled. The dark haired man glanced over at him and there was something in his eyes that made Ric`s heartbeat quicken._

 

“ _You could visit me now.” he offered. Ric swallowed hard, wondered if the words really held a double meaning or if he was imagining things. “Sounds like a plan.” he replied. They drained their drinks and put some money on the counter. Alaric felt strangely nervous while he followed Damon through the deserted streets. The walk took only about ten minutes._

 

_Mere seconds after he had entered the apartment, Ric found himself pressed back against the door, Damon`s lips claiming his in a hungry kiss that literally took his breath away. Ric responded enthusiastically, kissing back with equal fervour. He gasped when Damon´s slightly cool hands found their way underneath his shirt, stroked over his sides, leaving goosebumps behind. Finally they had to break apart, when the need for air got too great. Ric was startled at the hunger he could see in Damon´s eyes, although it was probably mirrored in his own. How long had he wanted this? He wasn`t sure, but he supposed since the first time he laid eyes on the dark haired man._

 

_Damon was tugging at his jacket and Ric quickly shrugged out of it, before lifting his arms so Damon could pull his shirt off as well. The dark haired man shed his own leather jacket without taking his eyes off Alaric. Ric reached out to rid him of his clingy t-shirt. Their lips met again and then Damon was pulling him further into the apartment. They stumbled through the darkness without breaking the kiss, knocking into furniture twice, before finally reaching the bedroom. Ric kicked off his shoes, noticed that Damon had somehow lost his along the way and reached for the other man´s belt._

 

_The tight fitting jeans proved a bit of a challenge. Somehow the two men ended up toppling onto the bed while trying to get each other naked. Damon laughed breathlessly and moved to take the rest of his clothes_ _off himself, before ridding Ric of his pants and boxers. Finally naked they reached for each other, rolling until Damon was underneath Ric._

 

_Ric´s lips trailed across Damon´s throat, up to his ear. “Want you. So much.” he whispered, letting his tongue curl around the lobe. Damon shuddered beneath him, nodded shakily. It was all the encouragement Ric needed. He let his hands trace over the slender body, watching fascinated how Damon arched into his touch. “God, you`re beautiful.” It should sound strange, calling a guy beautiful, but it was the only word fit to describe Damon. The dark haired man smiled and tugged Ric down for another kiss. “Been wanting you.. wanting this for month.” he admitted and Ric´s heart raced even more at the quiet words._

 

“ _Gonna need…” he muttered. Damon nodded and pointed to a cupboard. “Top drawer.” Ric quickly went to fetch the necessary items, blushing slightly when he found Damon staring at him. “You`re damn hot, Ric.” the dark haired man murmured. Ric had never felt so wanted. He leaned down for another kiss, while his hand found its way between Damon`s legs. Damon gasped and moaned as Ric`s fingers slowly opened him up. He was a sight to behold, his dark hair mussed, kiss-swollen lips slightly parted and his blue eyes darkened, pupils blown wide. Ric stared at him, tried to burn the image into his memory._

 

_He took his time, not wanting to hurt Damon, but soon the dark haired man urged him on. He gasped once he was finally buried between those slender thighs, the tight heat nearly undoing him. Ric moved slowly at first, but quickly picked up the pace as Damon grew accustomed to him, as they found a rhythm, clinging to each other._

 

_Neither lasted long. They had waited too long for this, had been wanting this for too long. Ric came hard, gasping Damon´s name, while Damon pressed his face into Ric`s shoulder, his cry muffled by the skin. They collapsed next to each other on the bed, legs tangled and waited for their breathing to return to normal. Ric looked at the beautiful man lying next to him and murmured “Wow.” Damon chuckled and nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Why did we wait so long to do this?” Ric shrugged. “No idea.”_

 

 

Alaric rolled onto his back with a sigh, stared up at the ceiling, now not only sleepless but also turned on. That had been the first time they slept with each other, but certainly not the last. Once they had taken that step there had been no turning back. Not that either of them had wanted to turn back. They had enjoyed this new twist to their friendship way too much. Ric had soon stopped counting the nights he´d spent in Damon`s bed. Always Damon´s, never his. It was one of the few rules of his and Isobel`s relationship. Never at home.

 

He was pretty sure Isobel had known about him and Damon, although she never said anything. Frankly, back then he didn`t care. The open relationship had been her idea and he`d never taken advantage of it before. Had never felt the desire to do so. Not until Damon came along. Meeting Damon had changed a lot. And their friendship had changed, too, over time. While Isobel had drifted away from him, he and Damon had steadily gotten closer.

 

 

FLASHBACK

 

_Ric glanced at the window, noting that it was long dark outside, but not ready to get up and leave yet. He and Damon were lounging on the dark haired man´s bed, both of them naked. After Isobel had told him she`d be visiting her parents over the weekend, Ric had decided to spend the time with Damon, who had been more than happy about the idea. Now it was sunday night and he knew he really should leave._

 

_Damon was idly tracing patterns across his skin. He stopped at Ric´s knee and looked at the scar there. “How did you get that?” he asked suddenly. Ric shifted, shrugged. “That was a long time ago. The story isn`t really good.” Of course his words only served to catch Damon´s interest. “Tell me.” he asked, giving Ric his best puppy dog look. With a fond chuckle the blond man complied. “I was four, I think. My mom went to the playground with me, but she wasn`t really paying attention. And while she was busy chatting with our neighbour, I fell off the swing and cut my knee on a broken bottle. Bled like crazy.” he remembered._

 

_Damon bent down to place a kiss on the scar and Ric shuddered lightly. “You know, I think I never told anyone.” he realized. “Not even Isobel?” Alaric frowned at the mention of his wife. He didn`t want to think of her right now. “No. Only my parents know. And now you.” Damon grinned and moved up to kiss him. “I like that. Knowing something about you no-one else knows.” he admitted. Ric smiled and stroked his back. He loved the feeling of that soft skin underneath his fingertips._

 

“ _I should leave. Gotta work tomorrow.” he mumbled with a sigh. Damon cuddled closer to him. “Or you could just stay another night.” he offered. “Isobel won`t miss you. I would.” Ric bit his lip. His heart beat a little faster at those words. He wondered if Damon could hear it, since his head was resting on Ric`s chest. Not for the first time the word divorce flashed through his mind._

 

_His feelings for Isobel had changed. Had started changing even before he met Damon. Lately he had started to realize that his heart belonged to someone else now. But he wasn`t sure yet, if he´d be brave enough to do something about it. He was postponing the inevitable. Deep down he knew that. He still loved Isobel, but not as much as he had when they`d gotten married. And he seriously doubted that she still loved him. She was barely ever home anyway. “Stay.” Damon whispered against his skin, his lips moving over Ric`s torso teasingly._

 

_Ric ended up staying the night and called in sick the next day._


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning came way too early for Alaric`s liking. He had barely slept all night and seriously contemplated just calling in sick. In the end he decided against it, knowing it would only serve to worry Elena further and maybe even make her come looking for him. He also hoped the monotony of a normal school day would take his mind off the newly rediscovered memories. He packed his things and opened the door, already late, but stopped dead in his tracks a second later. Damon was standing in front of his door, hand still poised to knock. For a moment both men just stared at each other.  
   
“You gonna invite me in?” Damon asked finally. Ric stared at him in disbelief. “No.” Who did the vampire think he was, showing up here like nothing had happened. “Now get out of my way. I`m late for work.” the teacher grumbled and tried to move past him. Damon didn`t budge. Simply crossed his arms and regarded the other man coolly. “Just forget about work, Ric. I`m here to talk.” Alaric sighed in annoyance. He so wasn`t in the mood for these games right now. “But I don`t want to talk.” he growled, stepping closer to the vampire, his voice dropping, taking on a menacing edge. “I`ve got a couple of vervain darts in my pocket. I suggest you move before I feel the need to use them on you.”  
   
Damon´s eyes widened in surprise. For a second he seemed ready to argue, but the teacher`s glare told him that Ric was deadly serious. Scowling he stepped aside to let Ric pass. The teacher breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to his car. Pushing the speed limits a little, he made it to class just in time.   
   
Usually he liked teaching, but today he found it tedious. He just couldn`t concentrate, his mind was still reeling with all the memories. So much for a diversion. Of course Elena noticed that he was distracted today. He could feel her worried gaze on himself, noticed her sneaking glances at Stefan, who was looking worse than yesterday. Maybe the girl should worry a little more about her boyfriend, than about her teacher, Ric mused.  
   
He wasn`t really surprised when the two of them lingered after class again. Elena approached him hesitantly, while Stefan hung back. “You forgot this.” the girl murmured, handing him his vervain bracelet. Ric took his time putting it on. “Thanks.” He was stalling and he suspected Elena knew it. “Are you… okay?” she dared to ask after a while. Alaric nodded and finally met her eyes. “Yeah, I`m okay. Sorry if I worried you. I just… needed some time to myself. It was a lot to take in.” he admitted. Understatement of the year.  
   
“So… Damon was telling the truth? You did know him?” Elena prodded. Ric sighed, looked away. Stared off into the distance. “We were friends.” He was startled when Stefan snorted at this. He`d almost forgotten about the younger Salvatore. “My brother doesn`t have any friends.” Ric had never heard Stefan`s voice sound so cold and detached. It was a little frightening. He frowned at the vampire, noticed that Elena was giving him a weird look as well. “And yet I used to call him my friend.”  
   
Another snort and he could see something like pity in Stefan`s eyes. “He was using you. And he probably plans to do it again. Otherwise he wouldn`t have made you remember. Better be careful, Alaric. My brother is dangerous.” Stefan warned, exiting the room without a backward glance. Ric looked at Elena, who shrugged in response. “I guess he`s right. Damon is … he`s selfish. He´s good at making you believe he will change for the better. I believed that, too. I felt sorry for him. But the tragic truth is, he has no redeeming qualities. You should be careful.” she cautioned. Not exactly what Ric wanted to hear.   
   
He didn`t know what to believe anymore. The memories of his and Damon´s shared past warred with the hatred he had felt for the vampire, with the things he knew about him now. He wondered which Damon was the real one – his friend, who had been there when he needed him, had laughed with him, listened to his problems and offered advice, or the cold, unscrupulous vampire, who stopped at nothing to get what he wanted and didn`t care who got hurt in the process.   
   
The teacher forced a smile to his face, not wanting to worry Elena further and promised to be careful. The rest of the day passed rather uneventful. He was mildly surprised when Damon showed up once school was over, strolling into Ric´s classroom just as the last of the students left. Ric quickly packed up his things. “Sorry, if you`re here to talk about Stefan I have to disappoint you. That`s what parent-teacher conferences are for. You`ll have to make an appointment like everybody else.” he explained without looking at the vampire. “I`m not here to talk about Stefan and you know it.” Damon grumbled.   
   
Ric took out his cell phone, grabbed his bag and pushed past the vampire. “Doesn`t change the fact that I`m busy.” He quickly dialled Jenna`s number, glad when she picked up after the second ring. “Hey Jenna, I guess I still owe you a date. How about tonight?” He continued walking, ignoring the pounding of his heart, surprised that Damon didn`t follow him. But he could feel the vampire`s eyes on himself the whole time and knew that they would have to talk about it eventually. There was no way around it. He just wanted to postpone it a little longer.  
   
***  
   
The date with Jenna was fun and it thankfully took Ric`s mind off of his problems for a while. Now that they had cleared things between them and agreed to be just friends he felt a lot more comfortable around her. They had dinner at the Grill and talked about anything that came to mind, getting so engrossed in the conversation that they missed the movie they had agreed on. Jenna shrugged it off and suggested just staying at the Grill for drinks instead. “So… how are things with Damon?” she asked after a while and Ric stiffened. “Can we please not talk about Damon tonight?” Jenna smiled sympathetically. “That bad, huh? Okay, change of topic. Have you talked to Elena, yet?”  
   
“About Isobel? No, I haven`t. I don`t really know what to say, to be honest.” he admitted. “Just tell her what she was like. I`m sure Elena will ask questions if she wants to know more.” Yes, he feared she might do that. And what was he supposed to say? Isobel hadn`t exactly been the picture perfect wife. She had been obsessed with her work, especially towards the end. She had left him to become a vampire and he had yet to find out more about that. Remembering his time with Damon had also made him remember those last month before Isobel disappeared. He`d thought about getting a divorce back then. Should he tell Elena that?  
   
“It´s up to you. Like I said, no pressure.” Jenna murmured. “I just… have a lot on my mind at the moment.” Ric admitted. “Wanna talk about it?” The offer was tempting. He could really use someone to talk to, but Jenna didn`t know about vampires and all that other stuff. And he wanted to keep it that way. “Thanks, but I think that`s something I have to figure out for myself.” he said with a shrug. “Okay, but if you want to talk, the offer stands.” The teacher smiled at that. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.” He glanced at his watch and sighed. “We should probably call it a night. I`ve got to work tomorrow and I haven´t exactly gotten much sleep last night. Wouldn`t want to fall asleep in class.” Jenna agreed with a laugh and they left.  
   
Walking towards his car, Ric mused that it had been a really nice evening and was just about to thank Jenna again, when he caught a sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. A second later something smashed into his side and he was thrown hard against the car. He heard Jenna scream in shock and looked up just in time to see a shadow lunging at him. Unable to escape the attack he tried to fight back. His attacker hissed, knocked him back against the car and sank his fangs into Ric`s neck. The teacher yelled in pain. He fumbled around in his jacket pocket until he got hold of a vervain dart. Jamming it into the vampire`s chest he finally managed to throw him off.   
   
Shakily he got to his feet, found Jenna standing nearby, a horrified look on her face. “Oh my god, Ric! What…?” Her sentence was interrupted by a growl. Alaric`s eyes widened as he spotted another vampire.  He tried to think fast, knowing he had to get Jenna out of harm`s way. The vampire attacked, but before Ric could make a move, a dark figure appeared out of nowhere and pinned the vampire to the nearest wall with a stake. The teacher breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized Damon. They shared a quick look and he nodded his thanks. Damon frowned at Jenna, who was trembling and looking about ready to faint. “Get her out of here. I`ve got this.”   
   
“Okay. Be careful with that one. The vervain might wear off soon.” Ric warned, before gently guiding Jenna into the car. He risked another glance at Damon, before driving off. Jenna was silent for a while, obviously trying to process what had happened. “Are you okay?” Ric asked worriedly. That seemed to snap her out of her trance and she shook her head wildly. “No, I`m not okay! What the hell just happened? Did… did Damon just kill…? And what was that?!” she asked, her voice rising.  
   
Ric sighed. It had been stupid to try and keep her out of this. She deserved to know the truth. “That was a vampire. Well, two vampires. And yes, Damon killed him.” he answered, surprising himself with how calm he sounded. Jenna looked at him like he`d lost his mind. “Vampires? Are you serious?” Her eyes drifted to the wound on his neck. It was throbbing and Ric could feel a trickle of blood that had leaked down his chest. But he had been lucky. The wound wasn`t deep. His jacket had been in the way, preventing the vampire from doing real damage. “I promise, I`ll explain everything. If you want me to.” the teacher offered.  
   
They reached the Gilbert home and he parked in the driveway, half-turning to look at Jenna. She hesitated for a second, but then she nodded. “Come inside. We`ll get you patched up and then you can start explaining.” He followed her into the bathroom, where she cleaned and inspected the wound. It really wasn`t deep and had already stopped bleeding, so Jenna covered it with a bandage. Once that was taken care of they moved to the kitchen. Jenna made coffee, before sitting down to talk.  
   
Over the next two hours Alaric told her everything. Starting with Isobel`s research and her death, to him trying to find the vampire who killed her, moving to Mystic Falls and learning about the vampires there. He talked about Damon, his failed attempt to kill the vampire, their shared past he only now remembered. About the tomb-vampires and their history concerning this town, about the founder´s council and Jonathan Gilbert`s journal. When he finally fell silent Jenna just sat there for long moments, staring off into space.   
   
“How much does Elena know?” she asked after a while. “Pretty much everything. Except the details of mine and Damon´s friendship.” Yes, he had told Jenna about that too and it had even coaxed a knowing smile out of her. “And Jeremy?” Ric shrugged. “I`m not sure. You remember the paper I asked him to write? His topic was: fact or fiction - The truth about vampires in Mystic Falls. He made it very clear that he didn’t think it was real, but… I just don´t know.” He had wanted to mention it to Elena, but with all that had been happening lately he just forgot.  
   
“Wow, that means you all knew and kept me in the dark.” Jenna mumbled. “We did it to protect you. All this… supernatural stuff is just crazy. Once you let that into your life it rules you. Believe me, I know what I`m talking about.” Sometimes Ric felt he would be better off not knowing. “I don`t need protection, Ric. I`m old enough to look after myself.” she scoffed. “I`m sorry, Jenna. I should have told you sooner, but…. You were so untouched from all this chaos. I wanted to keep it that way.” the teacher murmured. “Elena slipped you vervain, by the way. So you don´t have to be afraid of getting compelled.”  
   
She frowned at him. “That´s why she got me that tea? And… wait a second, she told me never to invite Logan Fell into the house. Does that mean he´s a….?” Ric grimaced at the mention of her ex. “Yeah, he was a vampire. I think Damon killed him, as far as I know, but someone had slipped him vampire blood, so he turned.” At least that was what Elena had told him. “You don`t need to worry about him anymore though. I… I staked him.” he admitted quietly, unsure how she would take those news.  
   
“Wow. I guess I should thank you then.” she said with a wry smile. Ric chuckled, glad she was handling it all so well. Both of them looked the door when they heard footsteps. Elena appeared in the doorway and blinked at them. “Sorry, am I interrupting?” she asked, smiling slightly. “Not really. We were just talking about vampires.” Jenna answered calmly. It was almost comical to see how Elena`s eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed several times, with no sound coming out. “Were you planning on telling me anytime soon?” Jenna asked. Ric took that as his cue to leave. It was way past midnight already and he really needed to get some sleep.  
   
Returning to his apartment he stripped down to his underwear and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep as soon as his head touched the cushion. He dreamt of blue eyes and hands all over his body and woke up feeling tired and sore.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day was Friday and Ric had seldom been so happy about the impending weekend. He had no idea how he made it through the school day. He taught his lessons mechanically, noting vaguely that Elena looked tired as well and spent half the time checking her cell phone. Stefan was skipping class once again. Elena didn`t know where he was.  
   
At least that was what she told Ric after class. “How´s Jenna?” the teacher asked. Elena shrugged. “Mad at me for lying to her. But other than that she´s handling it pretty well. We talked after you left and I told her everything I know. She made me promise never to keep something like that from her ever again.” the brunette let him know, before leaving to go in search of her wayward vampire boyfriend.  
   
After school Ric debated just going to bed again, but instead ended up at the Grill. He wasn`t all that surprised when Damon slipped onto the barstool next to his. “Took care of our friends from last night.” he let the teacher know. “Everything okay with Jenna or do you need me to compel her?” Alaric risked a glance at him and shook his head. “She`s handling it pretty well. Stay away from her.” Damon raised his eyebrows at the command, but remained strangely silent.  
   
For a while they sat drinking in companiable silence. “So, did you snap out of your pissy mood? Can we talk now?” the vampire asked after a while. Ric regarded him with a frown. “Pissy mood? You made me forget all about our friendship. You can`t actually be surprised that I`m mad at you.” he hissed. Damon just shrugged. “You got your memories back.” 

Alaric really wanted to punch him again. He noticed Matt Donovan watching them with a frown and fought to keep his temper in check. It wouldn`t do to get thrown out of the Grill. This was the only bar in town and poor Matt was one of his students. “Can we continue this somewhere else?” Damon seemed more than happy about this idea. “Your apartment?” he suggested, scowling when Ric said no. “I`m not going to invite you into my apartment.” the teacher stated. “Fine, my place then. You drive.”  
   
The drive to the boarding house passed in uncomfortable silence. Once there Ric followed Damon inside, looking around in wonder. He`d only been here twice before and hadn`t really taken the time to appreciate the view. The house was quite impressive.  “Stefan`s not home.” the vampire commented, pouring both of them a drink. “Why did you do it?” Alaric asked without preamble. He saw Damon stiffen and avert his eyes. Sensitive subject?   
   
“Isobel told me she had found a witch who could open the tomb. Even without the crystal and the comet and all that stuff.” the vampire began, before asking. “You know about all that, right?” Ric nodded. “Elena told me about your undying love for Katherine and your crazy plan to free her from the tomb. She also told me that Katherine had never been inside and that you did all this for nothing.” That had been shortly after they rescued Stefan and Elena had been taking cruel delight in Damon´s pain. She blamed him for the whole thing.  
   
“Yeah, so I spent 145 years pining after her, only to find out that she`s always been a heartless bitch and never really loved me. Sucks, you know?” the vampire mumbled. He sounded desolate and Ric couldn`t help but feel a little compassion for him. They weren´t all that different. He´d spent the last two years trying to avenge Isobel´s death, only to find out that she wasn`t even dead, but had left him to become a vampire. Maybe it ran in the family, he mused. Isobel was a descendant of Katherine after all. “I can imagine.” Damon sighed and went on with his story.   
   
“So she told me about this witch and made me promise that I would turn her. When we met she had no idea that I was a vampire. I don`t know how she found out. But once she had, she kept begging me turn her. She also knew about Katherine and she used this knowledge as leverage. In the end, I agreed. So now I had a chance of freeing Katherine and I thought it would be best if you didn`t remember me at all. I was sure you wouldn`t miss Isobel. I thought you would mourn for a month or two and then go on with your life.”  
   
“Well, you thought wrong.” Ric grumbled. “How the hell was I supposed to know that you would suddenly start obsessing over your wife? You wanted to get divorced back then. I thought I was doing you a favour. And you weren`t supposed to see me drain her. You should have been working late that day. I didn`t even know that you saw me. I just heard something and ran off.” Damon shot back. Ric`s anger was growing. “But I did see you. And since I didn`t remember you, all I saw was a vampire killing my wife!” he shouted, getting even angrier at Damon´s dismissive attitude.  
   
“Do you even feel sorry for messing with my head, taking away my memories? Or are you completely incapable of remorse?” he asked. “I thought it would be better this way.” Damon insisted. Alaric shook his head. “Better? Maybe better for you. Did it ever occur to you, that you being there would have made it easier? That I would have forgotten about her soon enough if you had stayed with me?” the teacher asked, hating how weak his voice sounded. He would have left Isobel for Damon eventually and he suspected the vampire knew it.   
   
He didn`t give Damon a chance to reply however. “But of course you had better things to do. You had to chase after the love of your life. I was only a diversion, right? A warm body to keep you occupied until you could be reunited with your precious Katherine.” he spat.  
   
Damon actually flinched at the accusation, but Ric wasn`t finished. He had worked himself into a rage. “Tell me, was any of it real? Anything you said or did?” he wanted to know, noting the pained look on the vampire´s face with mild surprise. Damon had always been easy and impossible to read. One minute he was an open book, his expressive eyes giving away every emotion and the next minute his face was a blank mask, devoid of any feeling whatsoever. It had always frustrated Ric to no end.  
   
“All of it was real.” the vampire whispered, slowly moving closer. “You almost made me forget about Katherine, you know that? And leaving you… that was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. But you`ve got to understand... I`ve been obsessed with Katherine for over 100 years. I couldn`t just... let her go. I made a mistake. I know that now.” he admitted. Ric`s heart was pounding. He wanted to believe it. Wanted it so much. But he didn`t know if he could. “What do you want from me, Damon?” He was so tired of all these games.  
   
Damon took another step closer, invaded his personal space. “I want to continue where we left off. And I know that you want it too.” His voice had taken on a seductive tone. It was so tempting. Ric wanted to lean in, capture those perfect lips again, run his hands over the smooth skin hidden beneath the black shirt. 

But Damon´s betrayal still hurt too much. Reluctantly he took a step back. “I can`t.” He turned and fled out of the house without looking back.  
   
***  
   
Alaric spent the better part of Saturday afternoon on Jenna`s couch, pouring his heart out and asking her advice. She listened patiently, but told him it was his decision to make and insisted she really was the wrong person to ask for relationship advice. A while later Elena joined them, smiling when Jenna invited Ric to stay for dinner. She obviously thought the teacher was dating her aunt and he really had no idea how to convince her that this wasn`t the case.  
   
After dinner Elena finally asked the question he`d been dreading all the time. “Can you tell me something about Isobel?” He hesitated, not sure where to start. “Please I just… I  just want to know what she was like.” She looked at him pleadingly. So Ric told her how he and Isobel met. How he had fallen head over heels for her. He told her about Isobel`s strong personality and how she had fascinated him.

But he also spoke of the hard times. Of her obsession with her research and the fact that it wasn`t always easy. The open relationship he left out. Elena really didn`t need to know everything. "So... do I take after her, or...?" Ric shook his head. “You`re nothing like Isobel.” Elena`s face fell and he quickly assured her that it was a good thing. 

“I loved her, don´t get me wrong, but Isobel was… difficult. She was selfish. Obsessed with her work. Especially towards the end. She spent a lot of time on her computer and sometimes she would just disappear for days. Damon said she blackmailed him with knowledge about Katherine, so he would turn her. And I think he`s telling the truth.” the girl looked stunned at this and Ric was all too aware of Jenna standing in the doorway, listening as well.  
   
“You´re kind-hearted and sweet, Elena. You care about others and you always put others needs first. There´s nothing about Isobel you need to know. Believe me.” She didn`t seem pleased with this, since he hadn`t really answered any of her questions, but she accepted it. Ric breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have this talk over with and left soon after.  
   
***  
   
Damon on the other hand spent the better part of Saturday sitting in the boarding house library, drinking. Only Alaric would be able to do this to him, he mused. Had it been anyone else, Damon would have just killed him and moved on. Instead he was stuck here, moping. This thing was far from over. 

Damon was known to fixate. His freshly cured, 145 year long obsession with Katherine was prove of that. So Katherine had turned out to be a completely heartless, evil bitch who never really loved him. Shit happens. Instead of mourning what he had lost, he had decided to move on. He was over her. He was free. Finally.  
   
Ric had made him forget about Katherine once. At least for a while. He could do it again. Damon still wanted his happy end. And he was sure he could get it with Ric. Now he only had to convince the teacher of that. And he was determined to do just that. Ric would give in and they would continue where they had left off two years ago and he would forget all about Katherine and just be happy. Yes, Damon Salvatore was known to fixate and right now he was fixating on Alaric.


	10. Chapter 10

Sunday brought yet another founder´s event. The founder’s day 150th anniversary kick-off party, to be exact. Damon forced Stefan to accompany him, quickly regretting it when his martyr brother kept grating on his nerves with his grumpy attitude. Every time Damon asked, Stefan insisted that he was fine. Yeah, like he really was going to believe that. It hadn`t escaped his notice, that Stefan had been drinking whiskey all day. Never a good sign.

But the younger one shrugged it off and went in search of Elena. Fine by him, although Damon couldn`t resist calling after him. “Don’t embarrass me young man!”

 

Stefan ignored him, but he hadn`t really expected otherwise. Looking around he spied Sheriff Forbes and joined her, complimenting the blonde on her dress. She laughed and they made small talk. After a while Liz admitted that she trusted the vampire, although she`d had doubts about him at first. Damon smiled. Strangely enough he was really starting to like the sheriff. And it was good to know that she finally trusted him.

 

“You’re not gonna like what I have to tell you, though.” she muttered after a while. “John Gilbert sought me out earlier. He had some very distressing news.” Damon looked at her questioningly. “John Gilbert?” That name didn`t ring a bell. Liz sighed. “Elena’s uncle. His name is John but I call him Jackass.” she rolled her eyes and the vampire smiled. It vanished quickly however, when she told him that according to John a hospital blood bank in Amherst had reported several break ins over the past two weeks. “And there were quite a few people reported missing as well. All close to Mystic Falls. We might have a problem.”

 

Just great. Damon would need to have a word with Pearl and her tomb vamps. Could they be any more obvious? “That`s bad news. I`ll keep my eyes open.” he promised. Liz nodded and left to find her daughter, while Damon strolled onto the balcony and considered just blowing up the old farmhouse with all the tomb vampires inside. Might spare them all some trouble.

 

Shortly after, he was joined by none other than John Gilbert. “Damon, right? We didn’t get the chance to meet, yet.” the man murmured and Damon instantly decided he didn`t like the guy. Still he pasted a friendly smile to his face and made Smalltalk. “Sheriff Forbes told me you`re a part of the council, too. So what do you think Damon? You know this vampire problem is real, right? It’s a potential blood bath.” John warned after a while. Damon shrugged it off, telling him not overreact, but the Gilbert idiot went on about how it was 1864 all over again. The vampire was surprised at how much he knew.

 

John kept babbling about the fire in the church and the hidden tomb underneath and Damon realized he was in serious trouble, even before John disclosed that he knew all about the tomb vampires and that Damon had been the one who freed them. Well, technically it had been those stupid witches, but the vampire didn`t really feel like pointing that out. “You know that I could rip your throat out before anyone would notice?” he mentioned casually, like he was talking about the weather. John simply nodded. The bastard looked way to smug. “Yeah, okay. But you probably ingest vervain so…”

 

“Why don’t you take a bite to find out?” The guy had some nerve, baiting a vampire. He would soon regret that. “It's not worth my time.” Damon declared, the smile never leaving his face. He started to leave, but then rushed back, broke John´s neck and threw him off the balcony. Problem solved. He really had enough on his hands right now. He couldn`t be bothered with an annoying Gilbert, who knew too much.

 

The vampire went back inside, spotted his brother, drinking yet again (what a surprise) and went over to tell him about Uncle John Gilbert. That shook Stefan out of his trance. Suddenly he looked like he wanted to launch into a monologue about how you shouldn`t kill people. Even drunk his little brother was such a bore. So obviously the wrong address, if he wanted help. “Great party by the way, huh?” Damon remarked, clapped him on the back and left again.

 

He wandered through the crowd for a while, debating with himself if he should go in search of Alaric, when he looked towards the entrance and got a shock. None other than John Gilbert was just strolling through the door, looking relaxed and way too alive for Damon´s liking. “You got to be kidding me.” the dark haired vampire muttered under his breath. Why did nothing work out like he wanted it to, lately? It was getting beyond frustrating.

 

The stupid, annoyingly un-killable Gilbert proceeded to walk onstage and hold a speech. Damon hadn`t been paying attention, so he didn`t know the reason. Frankly, he didn`t care. Moving through the crowd quickly he joined Alaric. “Look at his right hand.” Ric frowned at him, startled by the strange greeting. “Who's?” he asked, puzzlement in his tone. Damon barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Towns favourite’s son. Look at his ring.” he ordered again. Alaric did as he was told and his eyes widened in surprise. “It looks like mine.”

 

“Yeah, and that would be a big coincidence if he didn’t just come back from the dead about 5 minutes ago. Where the hell did you get that ring?” the vampire wanted to know. Alaric looked troubled. “Isobel gave it to me. Made me promise to always wear it.” he mumbled. Things started clicking into place. “Isobel, who gave birth to Elena, under the medical care of Dr Grayson Gilbert, John’s brother!” Both men turned to look at John, who was still enjoying his moment in the spotlight. “John knew Isobel.” the teacher concluded. “John knows a lot of things.” Damon corrected.

 

Ric frowned at him. “What does he know?” he asked hesitantly. “Pretty much everything, I think. He knows about me, about the tomb vampires…” he broke off with a shrug. John knew way too much, that was for sure. Ric`s eyes shone with worry. “That`s not good.” Damon snorted. “Understatement of the year, Ric.” He saw John leaving the stage and frowned. “We need to find out just how much he knows exactly.” he muttered, starting to follow the Gilbert. The vampire was pleasantly surprised when Alaric tagged along.

 

They caught John just outside the door. He met them with a smile. “You’re going to kill me again or are you gonna let Mr. Saltzman do your dirty work this time?” The guy really had some nerve. “Okay, you obviously know who I am.” Ric answered, hiding his surprise quite well. “Alaric Saltzman, a high school history teacher with a secret. Or maybe more than one secret.” John muttered, casting a sly sideways glance at Damon. The vampire faltered slightly, but caught himself quickly and made a comment about knowing a lot for someone who just got to town.

 

John told the two men that a letter containing all his knowledge would go to the council, should they kill him. He had the audacity to threaten to out Damon to the council. For once the vampire felt speechless. Alaric used his distraction to ask John about the ring. “I had inherited one, my brother Gray had the other. The one I`m wearing was his and I wouldn’t have given mine to Isobel if I had known she’d hand it over to another guy.” Okay, that explained a lot. The rings were obviously some family heirloom. Damon was pretty sure that he had Emily to thank for those.

 

“So you did know Isobel.” They had figured that much already. John shrugged. “Who do you think told her you were a vampire? Or about your infatuation with Katherine?” he asked and Damon really wanted to wipe that grin off his face. “What do you want?” the vampire asked, his voice dangerously low. He would not allow this stupid little human to play games with him. John didn`t feel inclined to answer however and instead took his leave. Since there were still too many people around, Damon had to let him go. For now.

 

He turned to look at Alaric, noting sarcastically. “That went well.” The teacher rolled his eyes. “No kidding, Damon.” For a moment they just stood there, staring at each other. “He knows too much. We need to figure out a way to get rid of him.” the vampire spoke up again. “We? He´s your problem, Damon. Who says I`m helping you?” Ric asked. Damon huffed. He`d really thought they were over this. “He knew Isobel. He obviously knows a lot about both of us. He threatened me, for fuck´s sake!” the vampire growled. Ric just shrugged. “Not really my problem. If you`ll excuse me now…” he muttered, turning around and leaving without a backward glance.

 

Damon could only stare after him, wondering where the hell this sudden change of heart had come from. Just a few minutes ago Alaric had followed him without question, had stood by his side and helped him confront that stupid Gilbert guy. And now he was suddenly playing pissed off again? He just didn`t get that guy. And he was getting angry now himself. No one just dismissed Damon Salvatore like that.

 

Resisting the urge to follow Ric and tell him just that, Damon stormed out and drove home, where he proceeded to drown his sorrows in bourbon once more. When Stefan finally made it home a couple of hours later, the older one wanted to try and enlist his help against John. But he only needed to take one look at his brother to see that he couldn`t count on him either. Stefan was bad off. This time the craving seemed to be too much for him. Great. Yet another problem Damon had to take care of. And no-one to help him. This was just getting better and better.

 

Patting his brother on the shoulder and muttering some nonsense about things getting better, he went to bed, but he couldn’t sleep. Tossing and turning for hours his thoughts drifted to Alaric once more. He thought of the first night they had actually spent together. He couldn`t even remember why they had waited month to finally topple into bed together. He had wanted Ric from the very second he`d met him. And he knew that Ric had felt the same way, had caught the teacher`s gaze on himself often enough, heard his erratic heartbeat, whenever they came close.

 

But maybe waiting had made it even sweeter. Even more intense. And he couldn`t deny that he had enjoyed the man`s friendship. Craved it, even. Damon had always been pretty solitary. Had seldom made friends. Why befriend someone, who would die sooner or later? And he just found it hard to trust someone. But he had trusted Ric right from the start. There was just something about the man that had caught Damon´s interest from the very second they met. And they had just gotten closer over time. With a wistful smile he remembered the morning after their first night together…

 

FLASHBACK

 

 _Damon woke slowly, feeling relaxed like he hadn`t in ages. With a content smile he stretched languidly, rolled over … and blinked his eyes open in surprise. The bed next to him was empty. Not what he`d been expecting. Frowning he sat up. Where the hell was Ric?_ _He hadn`t really snuck out during the night?_

 

_Then the smell of fresh coffee reached his nostrils and he heard the man puttering around in the kitchen. Shaking his head with a smile he got out of bed, put his boxershorts back on and padded to the kitchen._

 

 _Alaric was just rummaging around in one of his cupboards and obviously hadn`t heard the vampire. He too was dressed only in boxers. “Morning.” Damon drawled, making the man jump in surprise. Ric turned to him with a sheepish smile. “Morning. Thought I`d surprise you with breakfast this time around, but you`re too much of an early-riser. I only got the coffee ready so far.” Damon chuckled. “That`s okay. We can just make breakfast together.” He quickly went to the fridge, glad that Ric obviously didn`t have time to look in there, yet. He would need to find a better hiding place for the blood-bags he kept at his apartment, if Ric was going to stay overnight more often now._ _And he would definitely be staying overnight more often now, if Damon had any say in it._

 

_They made strawberry pancakes, working in perfect concert with each other. Like always. Damon was flipping the pancakes, while Ric set the table. The vampire was pleasantly surprised when suddenly strong arms wrapped around him from behind and Alaric started placing kisses all over his neck. “If you keep that up breakfast will have to wait.” he warned lightly. Ric`s rough chuckle made him shiver. “Guess I`ll have to behave myself then. Although that`s damn hard.”_

 

_Damon pushed the pan away, turned in Ric`s arms and pulled him into a heated kiss. Ric`s hands slid over his body teasingly, touching all the right places, making goosebumps rise on his skin. The vampire pulled away, breathing heavily. He was just about to suggest skipping breakfast when Ric`s stomach growled loudly. “Guess I really have to behave myself.” the man muttered sheepishly. Damon chuckled. “Okay, breakfast first, then back to bed. How does that sound?” he suggested. “Sounds like a perfect morning to me.” Ric replied, giving him a look that made the breath catch in his throat. Yeah, definitely a perfect morning._

 

 

Damon smiled wistfully. There had been no awkwardness about the change in their friendship. No uncomfortable discussions. It had all felt so natural. Like it was meant to be that way. They hadn`t even talked about what was going on between them. Had just accepted that this was the way things were now and enjoyed it.

 

He wanted that back. That feeling of… completeness he`d always had with Ric. The feeling that everything would just fall into place. He`d been an idiot, when he had left the teacher go to chase after Katherine. He knew that now. He couldn`t really understand anymore why he`d done it in the first place, truth be told.

 

Maybe the hope of finding Katherine and finally being with her forever had been so much part of who he was back then, that he`d never really questioned his motives. Before he`d met Alaric, there had never been anyone he had wanted to keep for a while. He had never allowed himself to get close to anyone. But Ric had shattered all the walls Damon had built around himself for decades. Maybe that fact had scared him more than he`d wanted to admit.

 

For all of his long, undead life Damon had been driven by one thought alone: Freeing Katherine from the tomb, to live happily ever after. Until he met Alaric. Somehow the man had just taken him by surprise. Had wormed himself into his heart, without Damon even realizing it. Back then they had reached a point where it was getting increasingly hard to keep up the façade. To keep track of all the secrets and lies. He wouldn`t have been able to hide his true nature from Ric for much longer.

 

And how would Ric have reacted to the news that the guy he was sharing his bed with was a vampire? One of those creatures from Isobel`s research, to which he referred as fairytales and made fun of. Maybe he would`ve accepted it. But maybe not. Maybe he would`ve hated Damon. Despised him, for the lies and all the evil things he`d done.

 

Damon hadn`t wanted to find out. It had been easier to leave and make Alaric forget. But he had missed Ric. Hadn`t even realized how much he`d missed him, until the teacher showed up in Mystic Falls. Only when it was too late, did he realize, that this thing with Ric could`ve been something special. Something real.

 

But maybe it wasn`t really too late. Maybe they had the chance to start over. To make it better. Without all the lies and secrets. All he knew was that he wanted Alaric back. And he would get him back. No-one said no to Damon Salvatore. Especially not Alaric Saltzman.


	11. Chapter 11

Monday started with a call from Sheriff Forbes, who asked him to join her for an emergency meeting. Damon didn`t like the sound of that. And he liked it even less when he arrived at the founders hall to find not only Liz, but also John Gilbert already waiting for him. The three of them strolled through the hall and Liz informed Damon that there had been a disturbance at the hospital blood bank last night and that some of the supply was compromised. “Compromised? You mean stolen?” Damon checked.   
   
Liz nodded gravely. “We almost missed it. The inventory records were altered, but when the night manager was questioned he had no recollection of changing them.” she let the vampire know. Of course John had to chime in there, clarifying that this meant the vampire who stole the blood used mind control to hide the theft. Damon rolled his eyes. “I know what it means.” Did the guy have to be that annoying? Just hearing his voice made Damon want to strangle him and it took all of his willpower to stay calm.  
   
Sheriff Forbes went on about the theft and how they probably wouldn`t have noticed it, if John hadn`t told them about the problems in other hospital blood banks in the county. “How lucky for us, we have John.” Damon retorted sarcastically, barely listening to Liz who told them about stepping up security at the hospital and handing out vervain. He startled out of his thoughts when John proposed that he and Damon could work together to find the one responsible.  
   
Damon really wanted to rip out his throat right then and there. Even more so when Liz gratefully accepted the offer and asked if he would be willing to do it. He couldn`t very well say no to that, so he swallowed his anger and nodded. Liz thanked him and John actually had the audacity to grin and claim they could make a good team. Damon forced a smile to his face. “John, I`ll do whatever I can to help keep this town safe. Even if it means spending time with you.”   
   
John took his leave shortly after, while Damon hung back to talk to the sheriff. “What did you call him again? Jackass?” the vampire asked. “Quite fitting.” Liz sighed. “Yeah, I know he`s … difficult. And believe me, I`d love to see him walk out of town again as soon as possible. But unfortunately he`s right. We have a major problem here. And we don`t have enough capable people, who know how to deal with vampires.” She sounded truly apologetic. Well, at least she seemed to despise John almost as much as Damon did. “Yeah, I guess we`ll just have to deal with him.” he agreed, musing silently that he would find a way to deal with John once and for all.  
   
“What about Mr. Saltzman? You mentioned that he helped you once. Do you think he´d be willing to team up with you and John as well?” Liz asked suddenly. Damon shrugged. “I`m not sure. I think he`s still a little shaken up over that encounter with the female vampire back then. But I can ask him.” he offered. “Do that. We can really use every helping hand.” Liz muttered with a strained smile. Damon promised to talk to Alaric and went home, wondering if the teacher would agree to help if he told him it had been the Sheriff`s idea and not his.  
   
***  
   
He had only been home for about half an hour when the bell rang. Damon opened the door, surprised to find Anna standing there. “I suppose I should be grateful, you learned how to use the bell.” he muttered sarcastically, while he stepped aside and allowed her to enter. “I’m sorry about what the other vampires did to Stefan. Abducting him, torturing him… It wasn’t supposed to go down like that.” Anna assured him. Damon snorted. “You’re playing house with half of a tomb of really pissed off vampires. What did you think was going to happen?” Really, how stupid could they be?  
   
Anna told him that Pearl was devastated about what had happened, but Damon wasn`t really in the mood to hear apologies. He had other things on his mind. “If you’re going to continue playing house with these little vampire pets, you might wanna stop robbing the blood bank dry, because they’re onto it.” he let Anna know. The girl told him that she hadn`t been to the blood bank in more than a week and that the other vampires were gone. “After what happened with your brother my mom kicked them out and they took off. It’s just us and Harper now.”  
   
Damon groaned. He believed her. Which meant they had another problem. Because if it wasn`t her or one of the others, that meant someone else was robbing the blood bank. And he had a good idea who it could be. He noticed Anna giving him a weird look and shrugged. “Anything else you wanted to chat about? Cause I`m actually quite busy.” She frowned, but shook her head. “No, I just wanted you to know that mom`s sorry. We want to stay in this town. So.. no hard feelings, yeah?” she asked, hopeful. “Yeah, fine. Whatever.” Damon dismissed her. He really had other things to worry about right now.  
   
***  
   
When Stefan finally came home from school, Damon strode to meet him. He asked about his school day, which of course raised Stefan`s suspicion that something was up and made him snarky. Deciding to skip the niceties, Damon accused him of drinking human blood again. Stefan denied it. Not that the older one had expected anything different. After a while Stefan obviously ran out of arguments, because he huffed: “Believe what you want.” and stormed off.   
   
Damon watched him go suspiciously. He knew his brother and he could tell that Stefan was lying. Usually he would be happy that Stefan had finally given up on his stupid bunny diet. But he knew all too well what happened when his baby brother lost control. And he really had enough problems on his hands right now without Stefan in ripper mode topping it off.  
   
He heard Stefan`s phone ring and crept closer to eavesdrop. It was Elena. Of course. Who else would call his brother? The girl kept babbling some nonsense about competing for the title of Miss Mystic Falls and Stefan was all eager boyfriend, happy to be her escort. Damon rolled his eyes about the lovey-dovey couple and debated just leaving the matter alone for now. In the end he decided against it and luckily his patience paid off.   
   
After his talk with Elena, Stefan crept down to the basement. Damon followed him stealthily and caught him at the fridge filled with blood bags. Caught in the act, Stefan couldn`t deny it any longer and instead snarked at his brother and claimed he had everything under control. Damon was slowly starting to miss boring, broody Stefan. At least he was relatively easy to control. “ Right now is not a good time for me to be worried about you snapping. I have enough other shit to worry about.” Damon warned.  
   
His outburst didn`t bother Stefan in the slightest. He still claimed he was fine and told his brother to back off. Damon watched him stalk back upstairs with an uneasy feeling. He had a pretty good idea how this could play out. But right now he could do nothing about it. Short of locking Stefan away there was really nothing he could do at all. And he wanted to wait until he had to take that drastic measures. Maybe, just maybe he was wrong and Stefan would manage this time.  
   
***  
   
Tuesday was no better. Stefan was still snarky and annoying, Alaric wouldn`t answer his calls (Damon had gotten his number from Elena – or rather from Elena`s phone, while the girl wasn`t looking) and instead John Gilbert kept calling him. The vampire had no idea where that stupid Gilbert had gotten his number. He suspected Sheriff Forbes.  
   
Unable to take a hint, John actually showed up on his doorstep in the evening, whining that Damon didn`t return his calls. “Most people take that as a hint.” the vampire grumbled, while John walked past him and sat down on the couch without waiting for an invitation. The guy really had some nerve. “Where do we start looking for vampires?” he asked eagerly. Damon wasn`t in the mood for his stupid games and told him so. Sighing dramatically, the stupid Gilbert decided to skip the niceties and cut to the point.  
   
He told Damon about his ancestor, the original Jonathan Gilbert and one of his inventions, that was stolen by a vampire named Pearl. That vampire was then burned alive in Fell’s church and the invention was supposedly lost forever. But since the vampires weren’t killed the invention wasn`t really lost. John explained that he wanted it and tried to force Damon into helping him retrieve it.  
   
The vampire frowned. Not another one of those stupid inventions. He was really starting to wonder how many there were. Of course he could ask Pearl about it. But Damon wasn`t about to let John know that. He`d heard enough. And he`d seen more than enough of that stupid Gilbert idiot. He wanted him gone. Now. “You know what? I’m not playing anymore. Get out. Get out.” he ordered. John looked truly surprised. Had he really thought Damon would just do his bidding? How stupid could one person be? “I said get out!” he shouted again, when John made no move to get up. “I'll tell the entire council what you are.” John threatened, getting up slowly.  
   
Damon stalked towards him and noted the flicker of fear in John´s eyes with satisfaction. He was done with being friendly, done with those stupid games. “Go for it! I'll kill every last one of them. Then I'll sever your hand, pull your ring off, and I'll kill you too. Do you understand that?” the vampire growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. “You`ll regret that.” John promised, even as he hurried out of the house. Damon stared after him, barely resisting the urge to smash something to pieces. God, he needed a drink!  
   
***  
   
Strolling into the Mystic Grill a couple of minutes later, Damon was pleasantly surprised to find Alaric sitting at the bar, nursing a glass of bourbon. He slid onto the barstool next to the teacher and ordered a bourbon himself. “Are you stalking me now?” Ric greeted him with a sideways glance. “You think I`m that desperate?” Damon shot back. Ric shrugged and looked away. The vampire rolled his eyes. “This is the only bar in town, in case you haven`t noticed.”  
   
“With a lot of empty seats.” Alaric muttered without looking at him. Damon smirked. “But you looked all lonely, sitting here by yourself. Thought I`d keep you company.” This elicited a chuckle from Ric. “Because you`re known for your good deeds.” he mocked. “I am. Just ask Sheriff Forbes. She has me working with John Gilbert of all people to take care of our newest vampire problem.” he grumbled, before continuing: “She also suggested you could help as well.” Ric looked at him in surprise. “Why me?”  
   
Now it was Damon who averted his eyes. “I might have mentioned that you helped me take down a vampire once.” he mumbled. “You did what?” Ric`s voice was getting louder and Damon flinched. Some heads turned their way. Matt Donovan was looking at them strangely again. “Felt like a good idea at the time.” the vampire defended himself. Ric looked at him like he`d lost his mind. “A good idea? What the hell where you thinking, Damon?” the teacher whispered harshly, obviously not pleased to be outed as some sort of hobby Van Helsing. “I was thinking that we`re a good team. That`s a fact, Ric and you know it.” Damon stated, discreetly scooting closer to the teacher. So close they were almost touching.  
   
He knew exactly what kind of effect he was having on Ric. He could hear the man´s quickened heartbeat, the slight hitch in his breath at Damon´s sudden closeness. Even before Damon had taken the compulsion off and he remembered their shared past, the teacher had been affected by his close proximity. Had felt drawn to him. He hadn`t been able to hide it. Damon was sure it wouldn`t be too hard to seduce Ric, if he really put his mind to it. But somehow he wanted Ric to come to him. Wanted it to be his decision. He could be patient, if he had to be.   
   
So back to the most urgent topic. “John Gilbert showed up at the boarding house earlier. He wanted me to find some device, Pearl stole from Jonathan Gilbert back in 1864. He threatened me. Again. We really have to do something about him.” Ric shifted, subtly bringing more space between them and turned to look at him. “We don`t need to do anything. He`s your problem.” he insisted. This was really getting old. “Come on, you can`t still be mad at me.” the vampire whined.  
   
“I can`t? You compelled me, Damon. You took my memories away. You were my friend, my closest friend. I trusted you and you betrayed me. I have every right to be mad at you.” the teacher hissed. “You got your memories back.” Damon reasoned, noting with surprise the flash of anger in Ric´s eyes. “That doesn`t change anything. You didn`t even apologize!”  The vampire had a hard time trying not to squirm under that intense gaze. Ric looked damn hot when he was angry. He really wanted to kiss the teacher right now, but he feared he would only get punched again.   
   
“Okay, maybe it wasn`t the best idea I ever had. Sometimes I just do stupid things.” he muttered. Ric`s eyebrows shot up. “Was that supposed to be an apology? Cause it didn`t sound like one. If you really want me to forgive you, you`ll have to do a lot better than that.” Damon frowned. The teacher was really starting to grate on his nerves and he was so not in the mood to play games right now. “Fine, don´t help me then.” he ground out, downing his drink and leaving.  
   
Completely furious he stalked down the street, muttering under his breath. Why couldn`t Ric just get over it already? Really, this pissed off act was getting old. Why couldn`t they just continue where they had left off? It would be so much more pleasurable for both of them.   
   
“Having a bad day?” The voice made him stop dead in his tracks. John Gilbert. Great. Just when he thought it couldn`t get any worse. “Really bad timing.” Damon ground out. He turned towards the voice, ready to attack. He was going to get rid of that annoying Gilbert once and for all. But before he could pounce a gunshot rang through the air and Damon crippled to the ground, pain shooting through his right leg. John didn`t miss a beat. Within seconds another bullet pierced the vampire´s shoulder and a third one hit his stomach.  
   
He was squirming in pain, the wooden bullets burned like hell. John laughed at him. “Painful, isn`t it? Those aren`t your average wooden bullets. I soaked them in vervain.” he bragged. Yes, that would explain why Damon was feeling so damn weak all of a sudden. He inwardly cursed himself for not paying better attention. For underestimating John. The guy was a Gilbert after all. They were known for their hatred of vampires. He should have remembered.  
   
“What do you want?” Damon ground out. He tried to pull the bullet out of his leg, wincing when it burned his fingers. The vervain was spreading through his body quickly, making him so fucking weak. “I haven`t decided yet, to tell you the truth. I could just kill you here and now. Or I could drag you to the sheriff and let her deal with you. She´d probably be happy to kill you, seeing how you tricked her for month. Maybe she`d draw it out, make it painful.” John mocked.   
   
Damon finally got the first bullet out and was about to retort with some snarky comment, when John shot him again. The bullet narrowly missed the heart and got stuck between his ribs. He was getting light headed. Blinking he fought against the dizziness, thought he saw something move in the shadows behind John. But he wasn`t sure and then he lost the battle and everything went black.


	12. Chapter 12

When Damon awoke he was lying on a couch in a room he didn`t recognize. Remembering what had happened he shot up, panic setting in. Even more so when a wave of dizziness washed over him. A warm hand on his chest pushed him back down. “Easy there. He did quite a number on you.” Damon recognized that voice instantly. He breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back against the couch. “Ric. What happened?”  
   
Ric sat down at the edge of the couch and looked down on him. “I left the Grill shortly after you. On the way to my car I heard the gunshots and being a curious guy, I went to investigate. What I found was you, lying on the ground in a dark alley, John standing over you with a gun. Didn`t take a genius to figure out what was going on. Luckily he was so focused on you that he didn`t hear me approach. It was quite easy to pick up an empty bottle and knock him out. He`ll survive, but he´s going to have one hell of a headache when he wakes up.” the teacher said with a chuckle.  
   
Damon grinned as well and tried to sit up again, groaning when his body protested. “I got the bullets out, but the wounds took some time to heal.” Ric let him know. “Yeah, stupid fucker soaked them in vervain.” the vampire ground out, only now realizing that he was bare chested. He regarded the teacher with raised eyebrows. “You undressed me. Just couldn`t help yourself, huh?” Ric rolled his eyes. “How was I supposed to get the bullets out with your shirt on?” Okay, good point. Damon still chose to believe it was only an excuse.  
   
Alaric got up and took a seat in the nearby chair instead, bringing some distance between them. The sight of the vampire`s naked chest was way too tempting. Especially up this close. He watched Damon who settled himself more comfortably on the couch. “How long was I out of it?” the vampire asked. “A couple of hours, I guess.” The teacher wasn`t really sure. He hadn`t been paying attention to the time, had been too preoccupied with watching the vampire if he was honest with himself.   
   
Finally Damon seemed to notice his surroundings, because he looked around the room with a frown. “We`re in my apartment. I wasn`t sure, but obviously that invitation thing also works when the vampire is unconscious and being carried over the threshold.” he told the vampire, who smirked at him. “So I only had to get shot to get you to invite me in? Wish I`d known.” he joked and Ric couldn`t help but chuckle.   
   
“Yeah, well..  this was closer than the boarding house. And I couldn`t just leave you unconscious and bleeding there in the alley. After all, you still owe me an apology.” Damon shifted on the couch, fixed him with that intense stare. The teacher stared back. He couldn`t tell how long they sat like this, just looking at each other, until the vampire finally sighed and said: “I`m sorry.” He sounded completely honest. Ric accepted the apology with a nod. He hadn`t thought Damon would really say it, let alone mean it.   
   
Again silence reigned, stretched. Got uncomfortable. After a while Damon got to his feet slowly. “I should go.” Ric`s heart clenched. He didn´t want Damon to leave already. The fear he had felt at seeing the vampire on the ground in that dark alley was still too near. Had shone him all to clearly how much he still cared for Damon. “You don`t need to.” 

The vampire looked surprised. He hesitated a little. “Gonna need some blood to heal properly. I`m still a little weak from the vervain.” he admitted quietly. Ric got up as well and took a tentative step towards him. “All the more reason to stay.” His heart was pounding all of a sudden. He had no idea what he was doing. Damon was looking at him strangely. “I still need blood.” he repeated. Ric held his stare. “I know.”  
   
“Are you serious?” Damon asked. The teacher shrugged, like it was easy. A tiny voice inside his head was screaming at him to turn back, but he ignored it. “I guess I can spare a little. You won´t need all that much, right?” he checked. Damon nodded. “Just a bit.” The hunger in his eyes was almost frightening. Still it didn`t make Ric change his mind. “Are you really sure about this?” the vampire asked. Ric nodded. “Take what you need.” he said, baring his neck to the vampire, wondering what the hell he was doing. He must be insane. But he just couldn`t stop himself. Damon was in front of him now. Ric could see his eyes changing, blue was replaced by black, dark veins appearing underneath. Suddenly he felt a sliver of fear, as he remembered the last time a vampire had bitten him. Remembered the pain of the bite. Damon seemed to sense this.  
   
“I won´t hurt you. I can make it feel good. If you let me.” he promised, his voice dropping to a seductive whisper. He pushed Ric back onto the couch and straddled his hips. The teacher gasped at the sudden contact. Damon´s eyes, now back to their usual stormy blue, shone with promise. He leaned closer and captured Ric`s lips with his. The teacher responded immediately, deepening the kiss. His hands moved over the smooth skin of Damon´s back. Damon´s fingers made quick work of the buttons on Ric`s shirt and Ric shrugged out of it.   
   
He moaned at the feeling of skin on skin and his cock hardened, straining against the fly. It would`ve been embarrassing if he didn`t feel the answering hardness in Damon´s pants. It had been way too long. He´d missed this way too much. The vampire`s lips left his, moved over his jaw, to his neck. His tongue darted out, licked along the vein and Alaric moaned low in his throat. Damon´s hips were moving, rubbing against Ric`s, one of his hands was playing with the hair at the back of the teacher`s neck, while the other clutched his shoulder. And then he sunk his fangs into the tender skin of Ric´s neck without warning.  
   
Alaric groaned and bucked up into the vampire. The sudden, sharp pain was quickly replaced by waves of intense pleasure. Damon´s mouth moved over the wound languidly, while his hips picked up the rhythm, rubbing against the teacher. Ric gripped the vampire`s buttocks, pulled him tighter against himself, arching into the movement. He was losing it quickly, the pleasure coursing through his body nearly unbearable in its intensity. He shivered at the delightful friction, moaned Damon´s name. And then he was coming hard, shuddering in pleasure, coating his jeans. Almost simultaneously he felt the vampire tense in his arms, his cry muffled against the skin of Ric`s neck.  
   
Damon pulled away, licked over the wound one last time and then looked down at the teacher. His eyes were slightly glazed over and he looked like he always had after they`d had sex, except for the last drops of blood still coating his lips. Ric closed his eyes and let his head fall back with a groan. He startled a little when he felt Damon´s lips on his, but returned the kiss eagerly, not caring that he could taste his own blood on the vampire`s lips.   
   
The bite-mark on his neck was itching, tugging. Ric touched it gingerly, noting surprised that the wound was closing. He pulled back to look at Damon in shock, who grinned down on him. “Relax, it was only a drop. I`m not turning you. Yet.” Deciding to ignore that last little comment, Ric concentrated on another question. “How…?”   
   
Damon grinned and demonstrated how he got his blood into Ric`s system, by biting his own lip, drawing blood, before leaning down to kiss the teacher once more. Figuring that it didn`t matter, since he had already tasted Damon´s blood, albeit unknowingly, Ric returned the kiss, breaking away only when the need for air got too great.  
   
Alaric looked up at the vampire, still perched in his lap and had to admit that he´d missed this. Not the feeding part of course. Damon had never bitten him before. But he`d missed this closeness. Being able to let go completely, to concentrate on nothing but the sensations coursing through his body, thanks to Damon.   
   
Shifting a little he grimaced at the sticky mess in his jeans. “I need a shower.” He felt himself blushing, slightly embarrassed that he`d actually come in his pants. That hadn`t happened to him since his teenage days. Damon shot him a wry smile. “Yeah, me too.” He actually sounded a little sheepish, which in turn made Ric feel better about the whole situation. “Not sure if my shower is big enough for two, but if you wanna test it…” he offered. Damon´s grin turned predatory. He was on his feet in seconds, pulled Ric up as well. “Show me the way, then.”  
   
Over the course of the next half an hour Ric found out that his shower was indeed big enough for two and that vampire blood didn`t only have healing qualities, but obviously worked like some weird sort of Viagra as well. Or maybe that was only thanks to Damon.


	13. Chapter 13

Wednesday started way too early for Ric`s liking. He shut off his alarm clock with a groan and jerked in shock when suddenly a strong arm snaked around his waist, pulling him against a cool body. He´d completely forgotten about the vampire in his bed, who took advantage of his surprise by kissing the teacher`s neck and pressing himself to his back, letting Ric feel his arousal. Ric`s cock twitched in response and he bit his lip to keep from making a sound.   
   
“Damon, I`ll be late for work.” Alaric protested weakly. Damon didn`t seem to care. “Just call in sick.” His lips wandered over Ric´s shoulder, while one of his hands gently caressed the teacher´s side, before sliding lower, teasing his hipbones, inching closer... “Let´s spend the day in bed, getting … reacquainted.” he suggested. It was so tempting. But Ric was determined not to give in. He jerked out of the vampire´s grasp before those clever fingers reached their destination. “I have to go to work.”  
   
He rolled out of bed, resisting the urge to cover himself. Nothing Damon hadn`t seen before. No need to be shy. The vampire smiled up at him. “Come on, work is boring. Stay here with me. I`ll make it worth your while.” he promised, his voice dropping to that seductive whisper again. He would make good on that promise, of that Ric was sure. And he really wanted to crawl back into bed and forget that the world still existed. But he didn´t feel like giving in to Damon so easily. Didn`t want the vampire to take him for granted.  
   
“I`m going to take a shower now. Alone. And then I`ll go to work. And you should go home or visit the sheriff or whatever it is you do all day.” he ordered. Damon actually pouted. “You want me to leave?” He sounded almost hurt and Ric`s courage wavered. “I thought I was forgiven.” Alaric hesitated at that. But who was he kidding? “You are forgiven.” he admitted with a sigh, leaning down to kiss the vampire. After a few seconds he pulled away again reluctantly, whispering: “But you shouldn`t push it. I could still change my mind.”  
   
Damon buried his head in the cushion with a groan. “You`re mean.” Chuckling, Ric left to take a shower, a little surprised that the vampire actually behaved himself and didn`t follow him. Somehow the teacher had expected to end up pressed to the tiles, seconds after entering the bathroom. So Damon did listen sometimes. Good to know.  
   
Returning to his bedroom he didn`t see Damon, but he could hear him moving about in the main room, muttering something. Deciding to ignore the vampire for now, Ric quickly got dressed. When he stepped into the main room he was met by the sight of Damon pacing back and forth, talking on his cell phone. “Oh come on, Stefan. Stop being a dick and just bring me some clothes.” he muttered. He didn`t seem to care in the slightest that he was completely naked and Ric couldn`t help but stare at him for a moment, enjoying the view.   
   
“I already told you. That fucking Gilbert shot me! I can hardly walk around with bullet holes in my clothes!” Damon grumbled into the phone. Alaric had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing, remembering that there was also the problem of the dried cum in the vampire`s pants. Somehow he found Damon´s little predicament highly amusing. After another minute of negotiating with his brother, Damon finally hung up and turned to face the teacher. “Stop staring at me. You had your chance. Now I`m not in the mood anymore.”  
   
Ric chuckled. He was sure that was a lie, but decided not to push it. “I gotta go anyway. See you around.” He picked up his bag and was about to leave, but the vampire suddenly blocked his way. “What, no goodbye kiss?” he asked with a pout. Smiling Ric complied and kissed him. Far longer than he intended to. When he finally pulled back he was more than a little breathless. And more than a little late.   
   
Still he couldn`t help asking: “Grill tonight?” Damon grinned. “Sounds like a plan.” Ric nodded. “Okay. Lock up when you leave. There`s a spare key on top of the doorframe.” he ordered. The vampire just shook his head. “Really? Second most obvious hiding place, Ric.” The teacher just shrugged. “Yeah, I don`t have a doormat.” he said with a grin, finally opening the door and leaving. Damon´s laughter followed him.  
   
###  
Work turned out to be pretty boring. As they were approaching Founder´s day, Ric had to set the regular curriculum aside for a few lessons in local history. The people of Mystic Falls were awfully fond of their history. He couldn`t really understand why he had to change his lesson plans, but what did he know? He was only a teacher after all.  
   
Surprisingly enough the class was at full occupancy that day. It happened seldom enough. Bonnie had returned and even Stefan made it to class on time. Ric wondered absently if the younger Salvatore had brought his brother some clothes before coming to school and what Damon had told him about last night. He wasn`t really sure where he and Damon stood at the moment. Even if they continued where they had left off two years ago, he didn`t know what that would mean. What had they been back then? What were they now?  
   
He only knew that he didn`t want people to know about him and Damon, yet. Wanted to keep this thing between them a secret for now, whatever that thing was. At least until he was sure where this was going. What Damon really wanted. And what he himself wanted for that matter. Now he only had to hope that Damon would understand.  
   
The day passed rather uneventfully. On his way home Ric ran into Jenna, who just came back from a meeting with Jeremy´s math teacher. They stopped to talk for a moment and he asked Jenna how she was holding up, now that she knew the truth. “I think I`m getting used to the idea, as weird as it sounds. I mean, Stefan is a nice guy and Elena loves him. And even Damon seems okay enough. I haven`t talked to Jeremy yet. I just don`t know how to bring up the subject.” she admitted.   
   
“Why don`t you just ask him about his paper? You could say I told you about it.” Alaric suggested. She looked thoughtful for a moment and then shrugged. “Might be worth a try.” The teacher nodded and was about to leave, when another thought came to mind. “Hey, have you seen John today?” Jenna gave him a surprised look. “Yeah, this morning. Unfortunately. I didn`t know you`ve met him.” Ric rolled his eyes. “Oh yes, I have met him.”   
   
“Well, he left this morning. Said he`d be gone for a few days to take care of some things. But he promised to be back in time for the Miss Mystic Falls contest. Although in my eyes that was more of a threat.” Jenna joked and Ric was somehow glad that she seemed to dislike John as well. He couldn`t imagine anyone actually liking that guy. “Oh and I think he got into a fight yesterday. He claims that someone snuck up to him from behind and knocked him out with a baseball bat.” she let the teacher know, who snorted in response. “A baseball bat? It was an empty beer bottle.” he said without thinking, only realizing that he`d spoken out loud when Jenna looked at him suspiciously. “How do you know that?”   
   
Ric shrugged sheepishly. “I was the one who knocked him out.” he admitted, frowning when Jenna started laughing. “You?” she asked, still giggling. “He tried to kill Damon!” That quickly stopped her laughter. “He did what?!” Ric looked around to make sure that no-one was listening to them. Luckily they were alone in the deserted parking lot. “John knows a lot. About vampires and the history of this town. He knows about Damon being a vampire and he also knows frighteningly much about me. Probably thanks to Isobel. It seems they were friends or something. He showed up at the founders party and started threatening Damon. Last night he tried to kill him. He must`ve been waiting for him outside the Grill.” he told her the short version of the story.  
   
“Oh my god. Is Damon okay?” Jenna asked, truly concerned. “He`s fine. Don`t worry.” Ric assured. Automatically his thoughts drifted back to last night. Jenna smiled knowingly. “More than just fine, judging by that smile.” she suspected and the teacher felt himself blushing. “Maybe.” he replied, chuckling when Jenna grinned and asked for details. “No way. You don`t need to know everything. And I`ve gotta go anyway. I`m meeting Damon for drinks later.”   
   
“Fine, be a prude then. I`ve gotta go, too. And you wouldn`t want to keep Damon waiting, right?” she conceded. “Right. Ahh, Jenna, maybe you could do me a favour? Let me know when John returns? I fear he might be up to something.” He didn`t like the fact that John Gilbert always seemed to be at least one step ahead of them. He had come way too close to killing Damon yesterday. Ric wouldn`t take that chance again. “I`ll call you as soon as he`s back. And I`ll see if I can find out what he`s up to.” Jenna promised. Alaric thanked her, once again glad to have her on his side.  
   
###  
   
When he arrived at the Grill Damon was already waiting for him. Ric ordered himself a drink and took a seat next to the vampire. “You`re late.” Damon remarked. “Yeah, got held up. I ran into Jenna. She told me that John left town for a few days.” Ric let him know. Damon raised an eyebrow at him. “What else did Jenna have to say?” Alaric wondered if he was imagining things or if Damon really sounded a bit jealous. “She promised to call me when John comes back. If he plans another attack on you, I`d like to be better prepared.”  
   
“Suddenly so interested? I thought John Gilbert was my problem.” The teacher rolled his eyes. “Were you always this annoying?” Damon smirked at him. “It`s all part of my charm.” Chuckling slightly, Ric shook his head. “Okay, so maybe I changed my mind. He`s our problem. After what he pulled yesterday… You`re right. We need to get rid of him.” Just thinking of yesterday’s events made him shudder. He remembered the fear he had felt at seeing Damon on the ground all too well. For one horrible moment he had thought he would be too late and the vampire would be dead. This fear had shown him just how much Damon still meant to him.  
   
“So, what`s your plan?” the vampire`s voice cut through his musings, shook him out of his dark thoughts. “I think first we need to figure out just how much he really knows. And more importantly, what he´s planning.” Damon nodded. “You think Jenna would allow us to have a look at his room? Or do we need to break in?” Ric snorted at the idea. Damon surely had no problem breaking in. “She`d help us. She doesn`t like him. But I don`t think we`ll find out much this way. As much as I hate to admit it, he`s too clever. He wouldn`t hide useful information where we can easily find it.”  
   
Damon looked like he wanted to protest, but in the end he only sighed in defeat. “Okay. Got a better idea?” Ric shrugged. “Not sure if it`ll help, but I called an old friend from Duke and asked him to do some digging. He studied criminology and he's become a very proficient digger.” The vampire nodded his approval. “Nice idea. You could also ask the Gilberts just how much they know about uncle John. Every information could be useful. And we`ll need to find that device before he does.”  
   
Sounded like a plan. “Alright. I`ll talk to Jenna, Elena and Jeremy. You take care of the device.” the teacher decided. Damon looked at him with raised eyebrows. “You`re bossy.” Ric shrugged. “Do you want my help or not?” Huffing in annoyance the vampire nodded, although Ric was pretty sure he was exaggerating. “Fine, we`ll do it your way. For now.” he complied. The teacher was about to comment on that when he spied Elena and Stefan entering the Grill.   
   
Elena had noticed the two men sitting at the bar as well and was making her way over. “What are you two doing here?” the brunette asked, looking from Ric to Damon. The vampire shrugged. “Oh just the usual. Drinking, talking, discussing the best way to get rid of uncle John.” he replied casually.   
Elena looked uncomfortable at the mention of John`s name, which caused Damon to ask: “He´s up to something. Any idea what that could be?” She shook her head. “He told me he knows I`m dating a vampire, said my parents would roll in their grave if they knew. I`ve been avoiding him ever since.” she admitted.  
   
“But he left this morning. Jenna said he`d gotten into a fight or something.” she remembered. Damon rolled his eyes. “Or something. Your stupid uncle shot me with vervain laced wooden bullets!” Elena blinked, looked at Alaric for confirmation. The teacher nodded grimly. “He would`ve killed Damon if I hadn`t arrived on time.”   
   
“Yes, he was very brave. Snuck up on John and knocked him out from behind. Who would`ve thought? Alaric Saltzman, history teacher, vampire hunter and now also my knight in shining armour.” Damon joked, pretending to swoon. Ric chuckled and gave him a playful shove. “Oh shut up. Don`t make me regret saving you.” The vampire snickered. Tearing his eyes away from Damon, Ric found Elena watching them with wide eyes. “Does that mean you two are friends again?” she asked, the disbelieve in her voice clear.  
   
“I don`t have any friends, Elena.” Damon chided, before turning to look at the teacher. “Or do I?” Ric looked at the hopeful blue eyes, the slight pout and wondered how an evil, psychotic vampire could manage to look so damn innocent. It made him want to kiss Damon senseless. Allowing his lips to curve into a smile, the teacher shrugged. “We`ll see about that.”  
   
Stefan snorted, but surprisingly enough didn`t comment. Damon didn`t even glance at him. Instead he drained his glass and turned to Ric again. “Why don`t we continue this plotting somewhere else, away from prying eyes and ears?” The question sounded innocent enough, but the teacher had a pretty good idea what he was really asking. Hoping Stefan wouldn`t notice his quickened heartbeat or at least chalk it up to nervousness at the prospect of being alone with a vampire, he nodded. “Yeah, let`s get out of here.” He downed his drink as well, got up and bid Elena and Stefan good night. “I`ll see you tomorrow at school.” he called over his shoulder, while he followed Damon to the exit.  
   
Damon started snickering once they stepped outside and Ric turned to look at him questioningly. “Elena`s scared I might hurt you. She just asked Stefan if he thinks they should follow us.” the vampire told him. Alaric sighed. It was nice to know she cared, but that girl just worried too much about others. He was about to comment, when he suddenly found himself pushed against the wall, Damon`s body pressing him into the rough stone. “You don`t think I`ll hurt you, do you Ric?” the vampire whispered. His lips hovered mere inches above Alaric`s and the teacher really wanted to kiss him. But he was also afraid someone might see them.  
   
“Damon, not here.” he protested weakly, surprised himself how breathy his voice sounded. The vampire didn`t let go, didn`t move an inch. “Tell me, Ric.” he demanded. “You won`t hurt me.” Alaric whispered, looking into those shocking blue eyes. Damon leaned in to kiss him, but the teacher turned his head away. “Not here, Damon. I mean it.” he stated again. Damon went very still for a moment. Then he let go of the teacher abruptly and moved away. He looked strangely hurt. “Let´s go to my apartment, okay?” Ric suggested.  
   
After a moment`s hesitation the vampire nodded and they went to fetch Ric´s car. The short ride was filled with uncomfortable silence. “What`s up with your brother?” Ric asked after a while, trying to lessen the sudden tension between them. Damon didn`t look at him. “Why do you ask?” The teacher shrugged. “It´s just… he seems a little on edge lately. Today I found him standing near the basketball court, looking completely spaced out. He almost attacked me when I talked to him. Then he mumbled an apology and ran.” he remembered. Something about the look in Stefan`s eyes had just felt.. off. He couldn`t put his finger on it. But it had frightened him. And there he`d thought he would never be scared of Stefan.  
   
“He`s drinking human blood again.” Damon mumbled, just as they reached the apartment. Ric opened the door and went to sit on the couch. “And what does that mean?” The vampire joined him, flopping down on the couch with a sigh. “I`m not sure. He`s been on bunny blood for years now. He could never really handle it… Feeding from humans. He loses control easily.” Ric took a moment to process this new piece of information. “Can`t you do something to help him?”  
   
“Even if he would let me… that`s his battle to fight. His choice to make. Maybe he`ll manage this time. And if he doesn`t…  if he snaps and flips the switch… Short of locking him up there`s really nothing I can do.” the vampire said. “The switch?” Ric asked.  
   
“Vampires can turn off their emotions. The pain, the guilt.. once you flip the switch it`s all gone. Makes it easier. At least for some time. But once you switch it back on, it all comes back.” He turned to look at Ric, a frown on his face. “So, did you bring me here to talk about my brother all night?” He sounded angry and Ric figured it wasn`t only because of the current topic. “No. Are you pissed at me because I wouldn`t let you seduce me in an alley next to the Grill?”  
   
Damon stared at him, his mouth agape. Obviously hadn´t expected the teacher to ask so bluntly. But Ric had always been blunt with Damon and he saw no need to change that now. He didn`t give the vampire time to come up with a sarcastic retort. “I`m a teacher in this town, Damon. I can`t be seen making out with some guy in a dark alley. That could cost me my job.” he tried to explain. Of course the vampire took it as a personal affront. “Maybe you shouldn`t be seen inviting some guy into your apartment either. Someone could draw the wrong conclusion. Or rather, the right one. Guess I`ll better go. I wouldn`t want to ruin your perfect reputation.” he snarked, storming towards the door.  
   
Ric followed quickly and stopped him by pushing him against the closed door, kissing him roughly. “Don`t go.” the teacher whispered, once their lips had parted, almost panicked at the thought of Damon storming out on him. “Give me some time. Let`s figure out what this is, what it means, before thinking about public displays of affection. Okay?” He was practically pleading, but he didn`t care. He didn`t want to lose the vampire. Not again. But he also wasn`t ready to admit his feelings aloud.   
   
Damon´s face was infuriatingly blank. Ric had no idea what he was thinking and that was driving him mad. The vampire was very still for a long time. Barely breathing. But finally he nodded. “Okay.” Ric breathed a sigh of relief. “So you`ll stay?” he asked hopefully.  
   
Damon´s lips claiming his was answer enough. He returned the passionate kiss and maneuvered the vampire towards his bedroom, glad to have cleared things between them. For now at least.

###  
   
Thursday started with another argument. Once again Damon tried to convince Alaric to call in sick and spend the day in bed. The teacher`s insistence on going to work had the vampire pouting and leaving the apartment in a huff. Ric found it pretty childish. When he tried to call Damon during lunch break, the vampire didn`t answer his phone and he also didn`t call back.   
   
Therefore Alaric was all the more surprised when he entered his apartment that evening and was hit by a sense of deja-vu. It was warm inside and the delicious smell of Italian food made his mouth water. The teacher shed his jacket and made his way to the kitchen, where Damon was busy cutting vegetables. “You´re a little early.” the vampire muttered without looking up from his work. “Sorry. If I had known you would break into my apartment again to cook for me I would have called to ask when you were expecting me.” Ric shot back.  
   
“I didn`t break in. You told me where you hide the key. And you invited me in.” Damon reminded. Ric chuckled. “Yeah, my fault. So.. can I help you?” he offered, remembering the times they had cooked together. Damon had tried to teach him some things back then, had showed uncharacteristic patience with his first futile attempts. “Sure, cut these.” the vampire ordered and Ric did as he was told. They worked together in perfect harmony, falling back into the old patterns easily. “You know, this feels weirdly domestic.” the teacher commented after a while. “We did weirdly domestic on a regular basis, remember?” Damon reminded him. The memory brought a smile to Ric`s lips. “Yeah, I remember.”   
   
While Damon portioned the food, Alaric opened the wine, voicing his appreciation at the vampire`s choice. Damon shrugged. “Felt like spoiling you a bit.” It was strange how much of their words and actions suddenly hinted at their shared past. Almost as if Damon was trying to remind him of the good times. Of the fun they`d had. A part of Ric still felt angry at the vampire for taking those memories away, while another part was slowly starting to accept that this was just what Damon did. What Damon was.   
   
After dinner they washed the dishes together and drained the last of the wine. Damon had just put the last glass back into place, when Ric pushed him back against the counter and claimed his lips in a kiss. The teacher remembered that he`d always found Damon`s kisses addictive. And he`d been abstinent way too long.


	14. Chapter 14

Alaric stumbled towards his front door, buttoning up his jeans as he went. Again there was a knock at the door, this one more urgent than the last. “Just a second.” the teacher called out, swearing loudly when he hit his foot on the couch. He opened the door, surprised to find Jenna standing there. She regarded him with amusement. “Hey, Ric. Bad timing?”  
   
He grimaced, only now realizing what he must look like – bare chested, barefoot, his hair tousled and wet. “Ahh, kind of, yeah.” he admitted. Jenna chuckled. “I´ve got news on John. I tried calling you, but you didn`t answer your phone. And Elena told me you weren`t at school today. She seemed worried.” Ric frowned. “My phone didn`t ring.” he murmured, suddenly getting an idea what could have happened to his phone. The teacher stepped aside to let Jenna enter, grumbling under his breath. That damn vampire.  
   
Ric had woken up this morning to find that school had started two hours ago. Jumping out of bed in shock, he had been stopped by Damon, who calmly told him that he`d shut off the teacher`s alarm clock and called school to inform them that Ric wasn`t feeling well and would therefore not be coming to work today.  
   
Ric had been indignant and had scolded the vampire, told him he had no right to just make decisions for him. They had fought, had yelled at each other and somehow ended up in bed again. In the end Alaric had to agree that spending the day with Damon was far more pleasurable than going to work, but he also warned the vampire never to try anything like this again. He was sure Damon wouldn`t listen. He never did. Jenna`s words had made him realize that the vampire had obviously also shut off his phone. Just great. He wondered absently if Damon had ever heard of boundaries. Probably not.  
   
“So.. you don`t really look sick.” Jenna remarked. Ric shrugged sheepishly. “Ahh yeah, well I…” he stammered, flinching when there was suddenly another voice behind him. “I came over to play doctor. As you can see, my treatment worked wonders.” Damon remarked as he strolled into the room, a towel slung around his hips, little droplets of water still clinging to his bare chest. Ric stifled a groan. Not only because of the tempting sight, but also because the vampire couldn`t be any more obvious about what they`d been doing minutes ago. He should probably be glad that Damon had at least bothered with a towel.  
   
Jenna grinned knowingly. “Well, I`m sorry for interrupting. I just came over to tell you about John. I think you`ll want to hear this.” Alaric didn`t like the sound of that. What was that guy up to now? Nodding his agreement he asked Jenna to take a seat. “Come on, Damon. Let`s go put some clothes on.” The vampire regarded him with raised eyebrows and that infuriating smirk that had Ric always debating with himself whether he should kiss him or punch him. “Why should I?” Ric was about to formulate an angry retort, tell Damon that now was not the time for one of his little games. But looking at the vampire more closely he noticed something else besides the usual arrogance. There was a hint of uncertainty.  
   
He supposed deep down Damon was just as jealous and insecure as everyone else. Maybe even more so. And so far he hadn`t given the vampire much reason to trust his sincerity. Stepping closer he pulled Damon in for a kiss, all too aware of Jenna standing nearby, watching them shamelessly. He broke away, grinned at Damon´s dumbfounded expression. He`d really managed to surprise him. “Get dressed. We`re about to discuss something serious and I can`t concentrate with you strutting around half-naked.” the teacher admitted, strolling into his bedroom without waiting for an answer.  
   
The vampire followed him seconds later and both got dressed quietly. Damon looked like he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it and just followed the teacher back into the kitchen. Ric made coffee and they sat down at the table. “Okay, I take it John`s back?” the teacher asked. Jenna nodded. “He returned this morning. Wouldn`t tell me where he had been. But I overheard him talking to Mayor Lockwood on the phone. He said something about finding a device and taking care of the problem. And that the plan would take place like they had discussed. It didn`t make much sense, but I thought maybe you`d know more about it.”  
   
“He`s looking for one of Jonathan Gilbert`s little inventions. It was stolen by a vampire in 1864. I have no idea what it is, though. Or what he´s planning to do with it.” Damon let her know. „Jonathan Gilbert?“ Jenna´s face showed clearly that she had no idea what the vampire was talking about. Damon shrugged. “Yeah, he was some sort of mad scientist. Invented all kinds of devices against vampires. I know that John is looking for one of them, but he didn`t say what it was. Or what it did for that matter.”  
   
Jenna looked thoughtful for a moment. “What about the old diary? The one Jeremy used for his paper. Maybe it says something about a device.” she suggested then. Ric shook his head. “I already thought of that. I have copies of the diary. There´s nothing about the device. At least nothing useful.” They had looked through it yesterday. Reading the diary more closely this time had only confirmed Ric´s believe that Jonathan Gilbert had been crazy. But who was he to judge? The teacher was pretty sure he qualified as crazy as well. Maybe it was a side effect of dealing with vampires.  
   
“Any other brilliant ideas?” Damon spoke up again. Jenna shook her head. “None short of asking John about it.” she admitted. “Don`t do that. It`s better to keep him in the dark about how much you know.” Alaric decided. “He´s right. John is a suspicious guy. He wouldn`t tell you anything, but maybe he`ll be a little careless around you, when he thinks you don`t know anything. You could be our advantage over him.” Damon agreed. Jenna chuckled at his words. “Your advantage, huh? Wow, you certainly know how to make a woman feel special.”  
   
“It`s all part of my charm.” the vampire grinned back. Ric was starting to wonder what he`d gotten himself into. The two of them suddenly seemed to get along rather well. “So, what do we do about John?” he asked, steering the topic back to the problem at hand. “Keep an eye on him, try to figure out what he`s up to and most importantly find that device before he does.” Damon decided. Sounded quite logic, so the other two agreed with him.  
   
“He`ll be at the contest tomorrow, so you two should better show up as well. In fact, we could use a chauffeur. Elena`s competing for the title of Miss Mystic.” Jenna remarked, giving Ric a pointed look. The teacher shrugged. “Sure, why not. It`ll give me a reason to show up there.” Which was probably the best way to keep an eye on John. “Of course I`ll be there as well, seeing how Stefan is Elena`s escort. I have to watch my brother dance.” Damon said. Ric suspected the vampire also wanted to keep an eye on Stefan. They hadn`t talked about it anymore, but the younger Salvatore still seemed to be struggling.  
   
“Great. Then I`ll see you both tomorrow.” Jenna agreed, standing up and heading for the door. Before she left she winked at the two men and called out: “Sorry again for the interruption.” Ric shook his head in resignation. She was reacting way too gleeful to his relationship (or whatever this was) with Damon. The vampire looked thoughtful. “You know, she´s not so bad, now that she`s not trying to get into your pants anymore.” he murmured. Ric decided not to comment on that.


	15. Chapter 15

Damon strolled through the founders hall casually, giving the impression that he was just looking around, admiring the architecture. In fact he was looking for Alaric, who had yet to arrive. The vampire stopped when he spied Anna, going outside. He quickly caught up to her and started chatting. Anna seemed suspicious, so he cut to the point and told her about the invention. She regarded him with raised eyebrows. “I could ask mom, but you know, you’ve made it pretty clear that you don’t trust us. So why should I even bother?” Okay, she had a point there, he had to admit. “Yeah, I don´t trust you, but I still think we should work together on this one. You want to stay in Mystic Falls and John Gilbert’s in town, making that impossible. Bring me that artefact. John leaves, you can buy a welcome mat. Easy as that.”  
   
She still looked disbelieving, so Damon asked her to think about it and left her alone to do just that. He looked around for his brother, a little worried when he didn`t see him. Stefan had been strange earlier and Damon feared he would soon have to do something about it. He finally spotted Ric, who had just arrived with Elena and Jenna in tow. The girls disappeared upstairs and the vampire went over to join Ric.  
   
“I just saw John at the Gilbert´s.” the teacher said by way of greeting. “Did he say something?” Damon asked. “No, he was perfectly nice. Guess he didn`t want Jenna to notice something. He`ll be here soon.” They walked to the bar to get drinks. “Well, he can`t really do much with all these people around. So I guess I`ll be safe for now. But we might have another problem.” the vampire muttered. When Ric just looked at him doubtfully he elaborated: “Stefan. He`s getting worse.”  
   
“You should tell Elena. I asked her earlier and she thinks he`s doing okay.” Alaric informed him. Damon heaved a dramatic sigh. He really had no desire to talk to the brunette about his brother. But unfortunately Ric was right. She needed to know. And maybe she could even help them. “Fine, I`ll tell her. Keep an eye out for John.” He downed his drink and strolled towards the stairs. When he was sure that no-one was looking he dashed upstairs and snuck into the room where the girls were getting dressed. He waited until Elena was alone, before alerting her to his presence. Of course she tried to shoo him out, but Damon insisted they needed to talk now.  
   
“Stefan’s still drinking human blood.” That got her attention. “He´s what?!” she practically shrieked and then asked if he was sure, since Stefan had insisted he was fine. Damon told her about the fridge full of stolen blood and that his brother was behaving strangely. That he feared Stefan might go all ripper on them.  
   
Harsh words, but she needed to hear the truth. And he wasn`t exactly the best address when it came to breaking bad news gently. Still he almost felt bad for her, when she flopped down on the couch and shook her head in disbelief. “Why didn`t he tell me?” The vampire rolled his eyes. “He`s afraid of your reaction. Afraid you`ll ask him to stop. He can`t stop, Elena.” The brunette looked up at him. “What are we going to do?” Her stare made Damon nervous. Why was she looking to him for guidance? Why were people suddenly relying on him? He was no-one you could rely on, damn it.  
   
In the end he decided to tell her the truth again. “Last resort: lock him up, starve him, get him back on bunny blood. You up for that?” She flinched at his cold tone, but she held his stare nonetheless. “I`ll talk to him. If that doesn`t work…” she left the sentence hanging, but they both knew what she meant. Damon nodded curtly and left.  
   
He returned downstairs, pausing when he saw Anna and Jeremy together. Listening in on their conversation he had to hide a smile. So she was infatuated with little Gilbert, who knew a lot more than he let on. Well, that could prove useful. Damon finally went on and joined Alaric and Jenna, who were waiting outside. He nodded when he caught Ric`s questioning look.  
   
Shortly after the Mayor started introducing the girls and Damon focused his attention on them. One of them seemed to be missing. Damon had seen her leaving the dressing room earlier, looking rather green. She had probably bolted. Elena was the last to be announced and the vampire frowned when he didn`t see his brother at the bottom of the stairs, where he should be waiting. “Where`s Stefan?” Jenna hissed. Damon just shrugged. “He`s supposed to escort her!” Yeah, he knew that, thank you very much. He didn`t need Elena`s aunt telling him.   
   
Seeing Elena walk downstairs the vampire quickly took Stefan`s place. Elena looked surprised, but she covered it well and even managed to smile. “Where is Stefan?” The vampire smiled as well. “I have no idea.” He took her hand and escorted her outside. “What are we gonna do?” Rolling his eyes he motioned for her to take her place. “Right now, we just have to get through this dance.” Elena looked doubtful. “Do you even know the steps?” Damon snorted and reminded her that he`d been around when the stupid dance had been invented.   
   
Then the music started and the brunette finally shut up. She did well, Damon had to admit. Really graceful. Once the dance had ended he led her off to the side. “You go on with the contest, I`ll find Stefan.” He didn`t give her time to reply, simply stormed off to look for his brother. Ric met him in the hall. “There`s no trace of him outside.” Damon nodded grimly. They searched the hall together, but Stefan was nowhere to be found. And to make matters worse they ran into Carol Lockwood, who demanded to know, why no-one had told her that Damon would be escorting Elena instead of his brother.  
   
Damon explained that Stefan hadn`t been feeling well earlier, but hadn`t thought it would be that bad. “He went home to lie down, but we didn`t have time to inform you. I`m really sorry.” the vampire mumbled. Carol accepted his explanation and told him to give Stefan her best wishes, before leaving to continue with the contest. Damon and Ric went on, but clearly Stefan wasn`t here. “Let`s have a look upstairs.” Damon suggested. The teacher followed him wordlessly. He frowned when Damon suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. “What is it?”  
   
“I smell blood.” the vampire answered quietly. Ric looked apprehensive. “Can you tell where?” Damon nodded and followed the smell to a small bathroom. There were smears of blood on the mirror and signs of a struggle. “One of the girls is missing. Amber.” Alaric murmured. So much for Damon´s theory that she had bolted. “Where could he have taken her?” the teacher asked. Damon tried to think. “Somewhere outside. The parking lot, maybe. Or the woods.”  
   
Ric nodded. “Let`s split up. You grab Elena, I´ll inform Jenna.” The vampire felt very grateful for Ric`s help. But he just nodded. “You take the parking lot. Elena and I can search the forest. Call me when you find him. And be careful. He`s not himself.” he warned. “I`ll keep it in mind. You be careful too.” the teacher answered, surprising Damon once again. The vampire flashed him a smile and went in search of Elena.  
   
Caroline had just been declared the winner and the contest was officially over, so luckily no-one would miss the brunette. He quickly relayed the news to her, while they went to fetch her coat. Stepping into the wood Damon picked up the noise of someone running. “This way, come on.” They quickly ran in that direction. The vampire could soon hear them, the girl and his brother. So at least she was still alive. Suddenly her scream cut through the still night air. Damon and Elena arrived to find Stefan feeding on the struggling girl. He released her when Elena shouted his name and Damon quickly stepped closer.  
   
“Stefan, come on get control. It’s okay, come on. Breathe through it.” he instructed calmly. Stefan looked at him with wide eyes. Clearly not recognizing his own brother he attacked and threw Damon against a tree. Groaning the older Salvatore got up again. Elena was screaming, pleading with Stefan to stop. And then Stefan was clutching his head in pain. Damon looked around and found Bonnie standing nearby, casting a spell. Once she stopped he moved closer to his brother again, trying to soothe him like a skittish horse. “It`s okay, Stefan.” Stefan looked at him and then ran off. Just great.  
   
Elena was crouching next to the girl. “We need to call an ambulance.” Damon nodded. “Do that.” He knelt down in front of the girl and compelled her to forget what had happened. Bonnie watched him with a disgusted look on her face, but remained strangely silent. “The ambulance is on the way.” Elena informed them seconds later. Damon got up. “Good. Get Sheriff Forbes. And tell Ric what happened.” Elena hesitated, but then did as she was told.  
   
Minutes later she returned with the sheriff. The ambulance arrived almost at the same time. Liz questioned the girl before she was taken away. “She doesn’t remember what happened.” she said, giving Damon a pointed look, before turning towards the girls. The vampire held his breath when she asked if the girls had seen anything. If Bonnie didn`t keep her mouth shut now… But luckily the witch only inquired if the girl would be okay.  
   
“It looks like it yeah. Don`t worry.” Liz assured them. “Why don't you girls get back to the party? Damon and I can take it from here.” Elena nodded and they both left. Once they were out of earshot, Liz turned to Damon. “They didn’t see the bite mark?” He quickly shook his head. “I got here before they got too close. There was too much blood. They couldn’t see it clearly.” The sheriff looked relieved for a second, but it soon turned into a frown again. “The vampire got close. There are so many people in there. The vampire didn`t even care. This is bad news, Damon.”  
   
“Maybe it means he or she was careless. Makes it easier to catch them.” Damon tried to placate her. “I hope you`re right.” Liz said with a sigh. The dark haired vampire patted her arm, tried to reassure her. She finally thanked him and left, stating she would have to talk to the Mayor about a cover story. He didn`t envy her.  
   
Slowly walking to his car, the vampire received a text from Alaric, who told him that he was taking Elena, Bonnie and Jenna home and asked Damon to be careful and to call should he need help. Damon smiled at the worry he could read in the few words, glad that at least something finally seemed to be working out right for him.  
   
***  
   
Arriving at the boarding house, Damon found Anna and Pearl waiting for him in front of the door, claiming they were there to talk. Damon tried to walk past them. He was not in the mood right now. Had other problems on his mind. But when Pearl suddenly said: “Annabelle tells me you’re looking for something I took from Jonathan Gilbert.”, he stopped. “Okay, I`m listening.”  
   
Pearl handed him the device and Damon looked at it quizzically. “What is it?” Pearl shrugged, told him she had no idea. “But now it’s yours.” He frowned at her, getting suspicious. “Where`s the catch?” Because there had to be a catch. But Pearl insisted there wasn`t. “My daughter wants to stay here. I want to stay here. You refused to trust us and for good reason. Consider this an apology.” He watched them go, wondering if he could really trust them. Well, at least he had the device now. That was a start.   
   
He entered the house and looked around, but Stefan didn`t seem to be home yet. Damon only hoped he wouldn`t do anything stupid. One stupid move was more than enough for one night. Fixing himself a drink he sat down to wait for his brother. He wasn`t surprised when his phone rang. “Elena, what can I do for you?” he asked sarcastically. “How is Stefan?” The worry in her tone was palpable. “I don`t know. He`s not home yet.” Damon answered truthfully. “What do you mean, not home? Where could he be?”  
   
“I don`t know. I guess he`s running around, feeling sorry for himself.” Elena was silent for a long time. “I`ll come over. I`ll talk to him and if that doesn`t help… we`ll do it your way.” Damon was sure that talking would get her nowhere, but if she wanted to try he knew he couldn`t stop her. So he agreed and hung up.  
   
Stefan arrived only minutes before Elena. He cast a quick glance at Damon and then rushed upstairs without so much as a hello. Damon rolled his eyes, wondering why his brother always had to be so melodramatic. Of course Elena wasn`t much better. She entered the house with a flourish, giving the perfect impression of a distressed, concerned girlfriend. Damon was pleasantly surprised to find Alaric accompanying her. “He`s upstairs.” the vampire said, before Elena had the chance to ask. She nodded, took a deep breath and walked upstairs.  
   
Damon shared a quick glance with Ric, who motioned for him to follow her. Rolling his eyes the vampire complied. He waited in front of Stefan´s room, while he listened in on the conversation going on inside, suppressing a groan at their discussion. Elena kept insisting that it was all her fault and that Stefan wasn`t a monster. Stefan kept insisting that he was a monster and that she shouldn`t be around him, because it was too dangerous. Those two really deserved each other. The girl had the whole martyr thing down almost as well as his brother.  
   
The older Salvatore flinched at the sound of a delicate body being pushed against the wall, followed by the sound of a fist impacting with said wall. For a second he debated going in, but he was pretty sure Elena would yell if she really needed help. So he waited with baited breath. Moments later Stefan was already apologizing and suddenly Damon could hear him sobbing. Elena whispered soothing words. And then there was a thud.  
   
Damon entered the room to find Stefan on the floor, unconscious. Elena was standing over him, vervain dart still in hand, looking terrified. The vampire regarded her with raised eyebrows. “Sure you want to do this?” She nodded. “I`m sure.” Damon bent down, picked his brother up and carried him down to the basement, where he put him in a cell. Once he`d closed the door he turned to Elena and Ric, who had followed him. “There’s no guarantee it’s going to work.”  
   
Elena peered into the cell. “It just has to.” With a sigh the vampire followed Alaric, who was walking back upstairs. He stopped when he noticed that Elena was still standing in front of the cell. “You coming?” She didn`t even glance at him. “I`ll stay here.” Damon hesitated a second, but then accepted her decision. “Keep a safe distance.” he cautioned, before leaving her alone.  
   
Back upstairs he offered Alaric a drink and they both took a seat in the library. “Will she be safe down there?” the teacher questioned. Damon shrugged. “As long as she stays away from the door.” Ric didn`t seem pleased with this answer, but he didn`t comment. They sat in silence for a while. Damon listened for any noise from the basement, but all remained quiet.   
   
“Jenna told me that John seems overly interested in Jeremy`s life all of a sudden.” Ric told the vampire. “Anything in particular?” Damon wanted to know. “He inquired about a friend of Jeremy, a girl named Anna. Jenna said she and her mum are new in town.” The vampire snorted. “Hardly. Her mother, Pearl, was in the tomb. She was the woman who saved our asses back in that farmhouse, when the vamps were closing in on us.” The teacher looked surprised to hear that. “So Anna is a vampire? Do you think Jeremy knows?”  
   
“Oh Jeremy knows a lot.” Damon said meaningfully. “Care to elaborate?” The vampire smirked. “I overheard him talking to Anna earlier. Obviously she told him pretty much anything she knows. And he also read Elena`s diary. So I`d say he´s up to date.” Ric seemed shocked at those news. “He didn`t say anything…” he murmured, suddenly remembering something else. “I think John knows that Anna and her mother are vampires. Jenna said he mumbled something strange about knowing all about them already. She didn`t know what to make of those words and he wouldn`t elaborate.”  
   
“Pearl is the vampire who stole the device from Jonathan Gilbert back in 1864. She and Anna were here earlier.” Damon explained. He`d completely forgotten. Now he pulled the artefact out of his pocket and showed it to Ric. “This is the device John is looking for.” The teacher examined it closely. “Okay... What is it?” Damon shrugged. “No idea. And Pearl couldn`t tell me either. But we have it and not that fucking John Gilbert. So I guess it doesn`t really matter.”  
   
Alaric nodded and continued to examine the device. After a while he gave up and put it on the table. Again they were silent for some time. Eventually Ric spoke up again: “Do you think it will work?” The vampire looked at him questioningly. “Locking Stefan up.” he elaborated. Damon shrugged. “Honestly? I don’t know. I`ve never done this. Bringing Stefan back from the edge… that was what Lexi did. She was good at that. Guess I shouldn`t have killed her.”   
   
Alaric regarded him with a frown. “Lexi?” Oh right, he didn`t know about Lexi. Probably hadn`t even been in Mystic Falls yet, when Damon killed her. “She was… Stefan`s friend. Very annoying. But like I said, good at bringing him back from the edge. She did it often enough. Vampire rehab.” he snorted. “She showed up here, a couple of weeks ago. Came to visit Stefan. The sheriff was looking for a vampire back then. For me, actually. I had been a little careless, I guess. I had to get Liz off my trail, so…”  
   
“So you killed Lexi.” Ric finished his sentence. Damon didn`t like the way the teacher was staring at him. It was almost as if Ric was trying to read him. “Why did you do it?” he finally asked. “Like I said, I had to get Liz off my trail.” the vampire repeated. “There would have been other ways. Tell me the real reason, Damon.” Alaric demanded. And damn, how did he know him so well? How did this guy always manage to look past his mask? Damon thought about telling him some lie or maybe even telling him nothing at all. Strangely enough he found himself answering completely honest.  
   
“She didn`t only have a history with Stefan. Lexi was the martyr-type. My brother seems to draw those. So she tried to save me as well. Only, I didn`t want to be saved. Her showing up here… it reminded me of some of my darkest times. Of the guilt. I didn`t want to feel the guilt. Back then my emotions were still off. I didn`t want to be confronted with my feelings. So the easiest way was to get rid of her.” He sighed, stared off into space. “I do regret it.” he admitted softly, surprising himself.   
   
“It`s good to hear that.” Both men jumped, since neither had heard Elena approach. She walked over to the vampire, a soft smile on her face. “You should tell Stefan.” Damon frowned. “Why would I tell Stefan?” The fact that she had overheard was bad enough. That`s what you got for honesty. Damn Alaric. It was all his fault.   
   
Elena was still smiling. “I think he needs to know that you`re not the heartless monster you always pretend to be. That there really is something good in you, like I always told him.” She was looking at him with her wide doe eyes. So trusting. So stupid. “You shouldn`t believe anything I say, Elena. I`m a liar. I do whatever it takes to get what I want. Already forgot that?” he snarked. But this time she saw right through him. “That`s what you like everyone to believe. But I can see past that.” she claimed.   
   
Finally changing the subject, she asked: “So.. can I stay here tonight?” The vampire sighed. “Can I make you leave?”  She shook her head. “No.” Rolling his eyes at her antics, Damon told her she could sleep in Stefan`s room. Elena dropped a kiss on his cheek, bid Alaric goodnight and went upstairs. The vampire turned his head to find Ric smiling at him. “What?” he asked, getting defensive. The teacher chuckled. “She`s right, you know? You always pretend to be the big badass vampire, but deep down you`re a good guy.”  
   
“You must be mistaking me.” the vampire claimed airily. Ric got up and moved to sit right next to him. He raised his hand, gently caressing the vampire`s cheek. “Don´t do that. Don`t pretend with me. The Damon who takes care of others, who can admit to his mistakes – that`s the guy who was my best friend. Still is my best friend.” Damon´s breath caught in his throat at those words. He could see the sincerity in Ric`s eyes. “You staying too?” he asked quietly, hopefully.   
   
Alaric´s eyes flickered towards the stairs. The look on his face was answer enough. He still didn`t want people to know about them. Okay, Damon could be patient. If he had to be. If it was worth it. And he knew Ric was worth it. “Maybe next time.” the teacher offered, smiling ruefully. Damon nodded. “Next time.” Ric leaned in to kiss him. Firm, possessive. Stealing the vampire`s breath away. “Good night, Damon.”


	16. Chapter 16

The next week passed by in a blur. Stefan was still locked up in the basement, feeling sorry for himself and refusing to drink the animal blood Damon brought him. Elena spent most of her time sitting in front of his cell, talking, pleading, trying to get him to feed. It was getting beyond annoying. Sometimes Ric came over as well, but since Elena was always there he kept a safe distance from Damon. They talked, they drank, but that was it.   
   
Damon was frustrated. His stupid martyr brother was once again completely ruining his life. The older Salvatore didn`t dare to leave the house for too long. Stefan had started hallucinating yesterday, obviously relieving the events of 1864, begging forgiveness from their father, calling out for Katherine. And since Elena refused to stay upstairs, where she would be safe, he had to be there as well and play babysitter for the annoying brunette.   
   
He had tried to pass time by finding out how that stupid Gilbert device worked, but the thing seemed to be broken. Now he was trying to immerse himself in a book, but that didn`t work too well either. The vampire was actually glad when his phone rang, startling him out of his musings. He picked up, expecting Elena again. She called him all the time lately. At least when she wasn`t at the boarding house herself. But it was Ric this time. “Remember the friend I told you about, who studied criminology?” the teacher said by way of greeting. “The one who did some digging on John Gilbert?” He vaguely remembered Ric mentioning something like that.  
   
“Yeah, that one. Well, I had him run a track on John's cell records. He´s getting regular calls from the same number. So I had my friend run a geotrack. Got the address. It's an apartment in Grove Hill. I thought we could take a look and see what we find.” Sounded like a good idea. A great idea even, considering that Damon was going stir crazy here. “Perfect. Pick me up in an hour?” He could practically hear Ric`s smile through the phone. “Alright. See you in an hour.”  
   
***  
   
Less than an hour later Elena showed up again. The dark haired vampire frowned at the bag she had slung over her shoulder. More clothes, he suspected. He´d also noticed that she had started cluttering up Stefan`s bathroom with her stuff. He was starting to wonder if she had secretly moved in and just forgot to tell him. She certainly never knocked, just barged right in like she owned the place. “How's Stefan?” Damon rolled his eyes. “Extra broody.”  
   
“Has he eaten anything?” Always the same questions these days. “Nope, he still refuses.” Elena looked worried. She always looked worried lately, the vampire noticed. It was a look that didn`t suit her. “But he has to eat!” she protested. Like it was Damon`s fault. He was sure Stefan would eat sooner or later. He wouldn`t starve himself. Really, his brother couldn`t be that stupid. Elena looked unconvinced when he told her that, but Damon really wasn`t in the mood for another discussion. They had been discussing this for two days now. He really hoped Stefan would snap out of his little depression soon.  
   
“Look, are you gonna be okay here if I have to run out? Ric and I have to go check something out. I`ll be back in a few hours.” the vampire promised. “I still can`t believe you two are friends again.” Elena mumbled. Damon rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you only said that like a dozen times.” It was starting to get old. They really needed to find some new topics.  
   
Thankfully the ringing of the bell interrupted their discussion. Damon grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. “Stay up here. You shouldn't be down there by yourself.” he ordered, already knowing she wouldn`t listen. She never did. “I`ll be fine.” she insisted. “I have no desire to explain to your aunt why Stefan ate you, while I wasn`t there. You know, everyone would blame me.” Elena stubbornly crossed her arms. “Stefan would never hurt me.” She spoke with total conviction. Damon was almost envious of the faith she put in his brother. “You know... You're very trusting of him, given the circumstances.”  
   
“So are you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be leaving.” the girl shot back. “Maybe I`m leaving in the hope that he does eat you. You`re a complete nuisance.” She only laughed, so Damon turned and finally opened the door. Ric had been waiting patiently. “Ready to go?” he asked, casting a glance at Elena. “Yeah, let´s go.” the vampire agreed. They got into the teacher´s car and Ric let him know that the apartment had been paid 3 months in advance. He didn`t inquire about Stefan and Damon was grateful for that.  
   
***  
   
They reached their destination quickly, parking in front of the house. Ric retrieved two stakes from the trunk and hid them in his jacket, handing one to Damon as well. When the vampire started towards the building, he stopped him. “Hey, could we not kill anyone tonight, please?” Damon arched an eyebrow. “You mean you just brought me along for my company?” Ric shook his head with a wry chuckle. “You wish.”  
   
They opened the door and entered quietly. Damon noticed that there seemed to be no permanent resident, since he could get inside without invitation. They snuck further into the apartment, looking around but seeing no-one. The fridge however was stocked with blood bags. Never a good sign. Suddenly a man appeared out of nowhere and attacked Alaric. Damon pulled him off, surprised that he recognized the guy. “Hey, I know you. Your name is Henry. You were in the tomb.”  
   
The vampire nodded eagerly. He recognized Damon as well and turned out to be very talkative. They questioned him about John, and he told them that he`d met Mr. Gilbert right after getting out of the tomb and that John had been helping him out, had showed him how everything worked. He claimed that in turn he kept an eye on the other tomb vampires for John, who were still pissed. “I'm cool, but those tomb boys.. they want revenge.” he let them know.    
   
“What does John want with them?” Alaric asked, completely puzzled. “He's just keeping an eye on them, you know? Trying to make sure they stay out of trouble.” Henry claimed, just as his phone rang. It was John. What a coincidence. Damon asked for the phone and Henry, completely trusting, handed it over. He only got suspicious when Damon didn`t answer the phone. By then it was too late. Henry tried to attack Ric again, but Damon grabbed the other vampire and Ric staked him, quickly and efficiently. Grinning at the teacher, Damon reminded: “Let's not kill anyone tonight. - Your words, not mine. Just pointing that out.” Ric simply rolled his eyes and continued searching the apartment.  
   
They found nothing useful anymore. The apartment seemed pretty deserted. Damon took the blood bags from the fridge, explaining to Ric that it would be a shame to waste those. The teacher accepted with a shrug and they left. “So John is keeping an eye on the tomb vampires. Helping them, even. What does that mean?” Ric mused on the drive back. “I have no idea. But it`s bad news if you ask me.” Damon replied. It was no secret that John Gilbert hated vampires. He wanted them dead. Why the hell should he help them?  
   
“I talked to Jenna yesterday.” the teacher continued and Damon felt a stab of jealousy. “She told me that John asked her to arrange a meeting with Anna`s mother. She wants to buy a building from the Gilberts, Grayson Gilbert`s former office, to be exact, and John`s being a dick about it.” That didn`t bode well at all. “When is this meeting?” the vampire asked. “I think it was earlier today.” Ric informed him, hesitating a little before asking: “John knows she`s a vampire, doesn’t he?”   
   
Damon nodded. “He also knows that she stole the device from his ancestor. Which is probably the real reason he wants to meet her.” he mused. “You think she`ll tell him that she gave it to you?” The teacher sounded worried. “I`m pretty sure she`s going to tell him. But don`t worry. The device is well hidden.” Damon assured. “I`m more worried about you than that stupid device. He already tried to kill you once.”  
   
“He can`t kill me if he wants to find the device. He knows that.” the vampire pointed out, looking over at Ric. “But it`s nice to know you worry about me.” Even if his tone was light, joking, he meant it. It was nice to know. He was still unsure of where they stood. Ric had no problem meeting him for drinks at the Grill or doing other things friends did in public. But he was always careful to keep a certain distance. Always made sure no-one would catch a glimpse at the other side of their friendship.   
   
So far Damon accepted it. He didn`t understand the secrecy, but if it made Ric happy he was willing to play along for now. The only one who knew about them was Jenna and Damon still wondered about that dynamic, had no idea if it was just friendship between her and Alaric, or if there was more. And he also had no idea how to ask Ric about it, without sounding like a jealous wife.  
   
Ric cast a sideways glance at Damon. “Of course I worry. You`re my friend.” Not a trace of sarcasm there. Only complete honesty. The vampire was rendered speechless for a moment. The declaration made his heart beat a little faster. And while it didn`t really answer his questions, it was at least a start.  
   
***  
   
When they reached the boarding house, Elena was still there, writing in her diary and brooding. She reminded Damon of his brother. “Has Stefan eaten yet?” he asked by way of greeting. She regarded him with raised eyebrows. “I thought you didn't care.” The vampire only shrugged. “I think he's getting there. But he's got a lot of guilt that he has to deal with. And it doesn't help that you've spent the last 145 years punishing him for Katherine getting caught.” Great, she blamed it all on him. How typical. Everyone always blamed him. Damon wondered how much Stefan had told her.  
   
“Did he tell you the whole story?” he asked. “He told me how you tried to save Katherine. That you both were shot, trying to free her. He told me how he turned.” she glanced at Alaric, obviously not wanting to relay every detail while the teacher was listening. So Stefan had told her that he`d killed their father. Interesting. “He said there was more.” she finished with a shrug. “Yeah. That's an understatement.” Damon grumbled. He caught Ric`s worried gaze, but chose to ignore it.   
   
Elena practically begged him to tell her the rest of the story. Well, since she insisted. “I had decided to die. I thought Katherine was dead and without her…” he paused, wondering once again how he could`ve been so stupid. He would`ve done anything for that bitch and she had never really loved him. “When Stefan returned from the… talk.. with our father, he brought a servant girl with him. She was bleeding. He kept going on about how great he was feeling. How alive. He practically forced me to feed on her. To complete the transition. In the end I did.” He shrugged, aiming for nonchalant and missing by miles. “I suppose I should thank him. It's been one hell of a ride.”  
   
Elena stared at him for a second, then she turned away and walked down to the basement again, only to return a moment later. “He`s gone. And I found this in the cell.” she held up Stefan`s daylight ring with trembling fingers. “He said he wanted to die. That's why he won't feed. And now...” she broke off, looked to Damon for guidance. None to be found there. “His choice. If he's stupid enough to make it, so be it.” Stefan wouldn`t listen to him anyways. He couldn`t help his brother. Elena shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. “Don't do that. Don't pretend like you don't care. I know you`re not that heartless.” She sobbed, running out without waiting for his reply.  
   
Damon watched her go, swallowing hard. If anyone could save Stefan now, it was her. That much he knew. And he also knew she wouldn`t give up. He jumped when suddenly strong arms wrapped around him from behind and he was pulled against a broad chest. “Stefan will be okay. She`ll get him back. Nobody says no to Elena Gilbert. That much I learned.” Alaric murmured close to his ear. Damon shivered. “I know.” They stood like that for a moment, until the teacher pulled away and took a step back again. “Want me to keep you company while you wait?” Damon only nodded.  
   
They moved to the library, where they sat in silence, until Elena and Stefan finally walked in, hand in hand. The older Salvatore smirked, tried to hide the relief he felt. “Little boy lost.” he drawled. Elena told them she would be waiting upstairs. She kissed Damon on the cheek as she passed him, ignoring his scowl. Ric stood up as well. “I should head home. See you tomorrow.” He squeezed Damon`s shoulder, patted Stefan on the back and left.  
   
Once they were alone, Stefan thanked his brother. Damon brushed it off. “No, Stefan, thank you. You're back on Bambi blood and I'm the big badass brother again. All is right in the world.” But for once his brother didn`t seem to fall for that act. It made Damon wonder what Elena had said to him. “I mean it. Thank you. For... helping her take care of me.” He said it with so much sincerity that Damon had trouble mustering a snarky reply. “Yeah well, don`t let it get to your head. I still hate you.” he finally muttered. Stefan actually smiled. “Good night, Damon.”  
   
The older Salvatore watched him head upstairs. Yes, he was glad his brother was alive. And he was also glad that Stefan was back to normal again. Even if normal meant boring and broody in Stefan terms. It was at least one problem less he had to take care of. Maybe now he could concentrate on getting rid of John Gilbert. And once that was accomplished he would convince Ric to take a few days off and spend them in bed with him. Maybe even a whole week. Satisfied with that plan he drained his glass and went to bed as well.


	17. Chapter 17

Alaric sat at the bar of the Mystic Grill, drinking by himself. He was wondering if he should call Damon and ask the vampire to join him. He hadn`t seen him all day. Now that Stefan was okay again, the teacher hoped they could go back to how things were before. He knew that Damon had been slightly mad at him for not spending the night at the boarding house while Elena was there as well. It was to be expected. He was actually rather surprised how well Damon accepted the secrecy concerning their relationship so far.  
   
And it wasn`t like he was ashamed of the vampire. He just had no idea where they stood. What that thing between them even was. He knew his own feelings well enough, had been confronted with them two years ago and found that not much had changed where he was concerned. But what about Damon? Deep down the teacher was scared that Stefan might be right and that Damon was only using him. That the vampire would discard him again when he got bored. He was afraid of getting too attached and being left once more.  
   
Alaric was startled out of his musings by a presence next to him. Turning his head to look he got the shock of a lifetime. “Hello Ric.” the dark haired woman drawled. He blinked, wondered for a second if he was hallucinating. He hadn`t had that much to drink yet. “Isobel.” She smiled and told him he looked good. Started chatting like nothing had happened. “Where have you been, Isobel?” he asked when he finally found his voice again. Only one of so many questions. She seemed to guess the others, because she said: “I don't have any reasons that are gonna comfort you. I don't have any explanations that are gonna satisfy you. I wanted this. You were supposed to mourn me and move on.”   
   
Ric couldn`t believe what he was hearing. It was that simple to her? Had their love, all the time they`d spent together really meant nothing to her? “What about our marriage? I loved you. Did it all mean nothing to you?” She shook her head, that damnable smile never leaving her face, never faltering. “Our marriage was long over when I left.” Okay, that much was true, he had to admit. They had been drifting apart for a while back then. Even before Damon. Still, she wouldn`t have had to do it this way. “Why couldn`t you at least say goodbye? Why not get a divorce, a clean break? Why make me believe you died?”  
   
“It was easier this way.” Her voice was completely devoid of any emotion. It was scary. She looked exactly the same and yet he didn`t see the woman he had married, the woman he had loved in those expressionless eyes. “Easier for you.” Ric shot back. Isobel didn`t even deny it. Without batting an eyelash she scribbled something down and handed him a piece of paper. “I understand that you know my daughter Elena and I hear that she’s been looking for me. So I want you to arrange a meeting.”   
   
Alaric was rendered speechless for a moment. So this was the whole reason she was here? She didn`t even come to see him. Didn`t even apologize or offer an explanation. She only wanted him to deliver a message, like he was some sort of servant boy. It was the last straw. He suddenly remembered all the fights they`d had, all the times he had thought about leaving her. He couldn`t believe that he`d spent two years searching for her. Mourning her supposed death. And yet he couldn`t regret it either. It had made him find Damon again. So at least it had been good for something.  
   
Getting up he turned to her as calmly as he could manage, threw the paper at her and muttered: “Screw you, you selfish bitch.” He left the Grill without looking back, went straight for his car, shaking with barely controlled anger. But Isobel followed him. He could hear her heels clicking on the pavement. When Alaric turned to face her he was suddenly pushed hard against his car. Seconds later her hands were around his throat, choking him. He could see no feeling in her eyes. There was nothing human in her. “You better tell Elena that I want to meet her, or I’m gonna start killing the citizens of this town one by one and I’m gonna start with your history students. Got it?” she hissed.  
   
When she finally let go, Ric slumped down to the ground, coughing for air. Isobel pushed the paper into his hand and sped off. Looking at it, Ric noticed that there was only a phone number written down. Groaning he got up and into his car. He was going to need help with this. And he didn´t need to think twice about where to go. But it took him a few minutes to compose himself, before his shaking hands could get the key into the ignition.  
   
***  
   
The drive to the boarding house took only a few minutes. Alaric rang the bell and waited impatiently. Finally Stefan opened the door. He looked surprised to see the teacher. “Is Damon home?” Ric asked, not even bothering to apologize for showing up this late. “He´s in his room. Come in.” The younger Salvatore stepped aside to let him enter and directed him upstairs. Ric greeted Elena, who was sitting on the couch and looked just as surprised to see him as Stefan did.  
   
The teacher quickly headed upstairs and barged into Damon`s room without knocking. The vampire was lounging on his bed, reading a book. Or at least pretending to read. “You should knock, you know. What if I was indecent?” he drawled without looking up. Ric snorted. “Nothing I haven`t seen before. Besides, you heard me, didn`t you?” Damon grinned and finally met his eyes. “Maybe. So what brings you here this late?” His tone clearly indicated what he was thinking. And Ric had to admit the sight of him, spread out on his bed, his hair slightly ruffled, shirt half unbuttoned, was quite tempting. But there were more urgent matters at hand.  
   
“We have a problem. I just saw Isobel.” That quickly shook the vampire out of his flirty mood. “Isobel is here? In town?” Ric nodded and Damon started bombarding him with questions, getting frustrated when the teacher couldn`t answer any of them. “Did words completely escape you?” he snarked. “Sorry, I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions.” Alaric shot back. Damon sighed, raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “What did she want?” he asked finally, a little calmer again.  
   
“She wants to see Elena. I`m supposed to arrange a meeting.” Ric let him know. Damon regarded him with raised eyebrows. “Why?” Ric shrugged. “I have no idea.” The teacher leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes with a sigh. All this time he had spent searching for his wife and now that she was here, he wanted nothing more than to be rid of her. How ironic.  
   
When he opened his eyes again he was startled to find Damon standing directly in front of him. “Are you okay?” Ric wasn`t sure if he was only imagining the concern in the vampire`s voice. “No, I`m not.” he answered honestly. “She shows up here like nothing happened. No explanation, no nothing. And she didn`t even come to see me. She only wanted me to deliver a message. Like some servant. She threatened to go on a killing spree if I don`t do what she wants. She was so… so cold.” He shuddered at the memory of those dark eyes. Automatically his hand went up to rub his throat where her nails had dug into the skin.   
   
Damon didn`t miss the gesture. “She hurt you.” It wasn`t a question, but Ric nodded nonetheless, surprised at the way the vampire´s eyes flashed and darkened. Damon looked pissed. Dangerously so. His fingers trailed over Ric`s throat and the teacher`s breath hitched at the feather-light touch. He wanted to lean in, to capture Damon´s lips with his own, but there were problems that had to be taken care of first. Also Elena and Stefan were just downstairs and he still didn`t want them to know.  
   
“We should tell Elena. She has a right to know.” the teacher stated. Damon frowned, but nodded after a second´s consideration. “Okay, let`s tell her.” He led the way and they returned downstairs, where Elena and Stefan were still seated on the couch. “We need to talk.” Ric announced, flinching at how cliché the words sounded. Elena was instantly alert. “What happened?” Alaric shared a quick look with Damon, who nodded. “Isobel showed up. She wants to meet you.”  
   
The brunette appeared shocked at those words. “You don’t have to see her if you don’t want to.” Damon chimed in, showing unexpected sensitivity. Stefan frowned at him, but didn`t comment. Elena looked torn and Ric could only imagine what was going through her head right now. He choose not to tell her about Isobel`s threat. The girl shouldn`t be forced to do this. And he knew she would if he told her other people`s lives were in danger. “I want to do it. I want to meet her. If I don’t, I know I’ll regret it.” she said eventually. The teacher nodded. “When?”   
   
“Tomorrow, after school. The sooner I get this over with, the better.” Elena decided. Wordlessly Ric pulled out his phone and the slip of paper. He dialled the number and waited, flinching slightly when Isobel answered after the second ring. “I hope you`ve got news for me.” Even her voice sounded different than it had. Cold and detached. “Tomorrow at the Mystic Grill. Four pm.” he answered curtly, casting a glance at Elena who nodded. “I´ll be there.” Isobel promised. “And I don`t want to see either you or Damon inside. Or I might be forced to do something nasty. Are we clear?”   
   
Ric noticed Damon´s frown and knew the vampire was listening. “Yes.” Without another word he hung up, tried to hide how much the short call had affected him. “She doesn`t want Damon and me to be there.” he let Elena know. “But she said nothing about Stefan.” Damon pointed out. The younger Salvatore nodded. “I`ll look after Elena.” It was more than a promise. It was a pledge. Ric knew that Stefan would rather die than see Elena get hurt.   
   
So now that everything was cleared, Ric took his leave. Tomorrow was a school day after all and he had to get up early. Damon followed him to the door. He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn`t find the right words. “Be careful.” he muttered finally. “You too.” Alaric replied, before heading out.  
   
***  
   
The next afternoon found Damon and Alaric on a bench just across the street from the Mystic Grill. “We should be in there.” Damon muttered as he got up and started pacing. “No, Isobel made it clear we’re not to step a foot inside. You heard her.” Ric reminded, watching the vampire pace back and forth. Seeing Damon so agitated was making him even more nervous. He`d barely been able to concentrate on teaching today. His mind had been reeling with all the possibilities of how this meeting could go horribly wrong.  
   
“We should still be in there. Why are we letting her dictate the rules?” the vampire grumbled. “Because she threatened to kill my students. And I think she meant it.” The thought made Ric shudder. “You know, I looked for the woman I married, but she wasn’t there. Whoever that is, she's cold and detached.” he murmured. “Yeah, she’s given up her humanity.” Ric had figured as much. But he didn`t understand it. “I don’t get that. Why would she choose not to feel?”  
   
“As a vampire, your instinct is not to feel. Isobel chose the easier road — no guilt, no shame, no regret. I mean, come on, if you could turn it off, wouldn't you?” The way Damon put it, it sounded way too easy. “You haven't.” the teacher pointed out. “Of course I have, Ric. Often enough.” Damon shot back. “Still, I don`t get it. Why waste an eternal life, feeling nothing? Life´s worth nothing without emotions, without feelings.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Depends on the feelings. And whether they`re reciprocated.” the vampire pointed out, his voice dropping as well. They stared at each other and Ric suddenly got the impression that their discussion was turning into something bigger. Something meaningful and important. He couldn`t take his eyes off Damon.   
   
The moment was interrupted however, by the arrival of Elena and Stefan. The brunette looked shaken up. Ric could tell that she had been crying. He wished he could have spared her this meeting. “She wants the device.” Stefan let them know, putting an arm around Elena, trying to comfort her. Damon wanted to know what Isobel had said and his brother quietly relayed the conversation to them. “No way.” the older Salvatore stated firmly. “We don`t even know what that thing does. I`m not handing it over to anybody.”  
   
Ric had to agree with him. Isobel was most likely working with John and whatever John wanted, it couldn`t be good. “So, what do we do now?” Elena asked. Damon shrugged. “We wait.”  
   
***   
   
Waiting – not something Damon did particularly well. So while the others waited, he had taken action. It was already dark when he knocked on Alaric`s door. Strangely enough the teacher didn`t look all that surprised to see him. “I went to see Isobel.” Damon declared, strolling into the apartment. Ric simply nodded. It was obviously getting harder to surprise him. “Did you kill her?” His voice sounded strangely neutral. Forced, Damon suspected. “No. Did you want me to?” he shot back. “No. I don`t want her dead.”  
   
No hesitation there and Damon was starting to wonder if he should have killed her after all. “Don`t tell me you still have feelings for that bitch?” the vampire spat. Ric flinched at his venomous tone. He looked troubled, seemed to search for the right words. “The woman I fell in love with, the woman I married… she was long gone even before you turned her. And whoever she is now, I don`t recognize her. I looked into her eyes and I saw nothing there. But still, she was my wife.” he said eventually.   
   
Damon frowned, not really satisfied with that answer. “I thought you would be able to relate.” Ric murmured. “What if it was Katherine? Could you just kill her?” Tricky question. And one Damon didn`t want to answer. Didn`t know how to answer. Which seemed to be answer enough for the teacher. “See? I don`t want Isobel back. But I don`t want her dead, either. Truth be told, I just want her far away from me.”   
   
Damon wanted that, too. It was the main reason he had sought her out today. She had hurt Alaric and Damon had wanted to make sure it never happened again. Yes, he had thought about killing her. And it would have been so easy. He`d already had her, nailed to the floor. Would`ve been no task at all to rip out her heart or maybe her throat. He had considered doing just that for a second. But in the end he had only warned her. Had threatened to rip her to bits if she ever laid a hand on Alaric again. And he would do just that in a heartbeat.   
   
“How did you find her?” Ric asked, startling him out of his musings. Damon shrugged. “Searched for the neighbourhood bank owned foreclosures and found the most expensive one. It was easy, really. I was the one who taught her that.” The teacher nodded. “And did you find out anything useful?” Damon snorted. “Not really. She`s playing house with two humans she´s compelled. She said she dated John when they were young. He was in love with her.” He hesitated a little, but then decided to tell Ric everything. “She claims she`s only doing what Katherine told her. And that Katherine wants John to have the device.”  
   
This managed to surprise Ric. “So.. Katherine is behind this? Does that mean… Will you give the device to John?” he asked hesitantly. “No chance in hell. Like I already told Isobel – if Katherine wants something from me, she´s got to get her ass here and get it herself.” She had fooled him long enough. Damon wouldn`t fall for her little games again. And he wouldn`t take his chances with John Gilbert. “Okay. So I guess we continue to wait?” Ric assumed.   
   
The vampire nodded. “Nothing else we can do, really. So I guess I`ll go now. Just wanted to fill you in.” He turned towards the door, but Ric stopped him. Just like he`d hoped. “You don´t have to go.” the teacher said quietly. Damon looked at him. “You want me to stay?” He wanted to hear it. Wanted Ric to say it. The teacher smiled. “Yes, I want you to stay. As long as you promise not to shut off my alarm clock again.” Damon snorted. “You still mad about that? Come on, staying home was so much more fun.”  
   
“It was fun, but I still have a job. And I`d like to keep that job.” Ric pointed out. The vampire held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I won`t shut off your alarm. Be boring, go to work. What do I care?” That was obviously the right thing to say, because seconds later he was pressed against the wall and Alaric`s lips descended on his. Soon enough clothes went flying and they didn`t really speak anymore for the rest of the night.


	18. Chapter 18

The next day Alaric still insisted on going to work, although Damon tried everything to change his mind. Lounging naked on the bed, letting his eyes travel over the teacher`s body suggestively had no real effect. Neither had telling Ric about all the naughty things they could do if he stayed home. Pouting and puppy dog eyes didn`t work as well. Ric`s resolve was in equal parts very impressive and terribly frustrating. In the end Damon gave up and went home.

 He spent a quiet morning at the boarding house and amused himself by sending Ric texts about what they could be doing right now if the teacher hadn`t decided to be so responsible and boring. A few times he even received an answer. It was usually _> Keep that in mind for tonight.< _or _> Sounds like fun.<_ and once _> Are you really THAT flexible?<_ Grinning Damon typed back: _> Come over here and find out.<_ But he didn`t receive an answer again.

 By early afternoon his quiet time was interrupted by Elena, Stefan and Bonnie, who tried to convince him to hand the Gilbert-device over to John. “We don`t even know what that thing does.” he protested, getting suspicious when he noticed the guilty look on Elena`s face. “Or do we?” His voice clearly betrayed his anger. They knew something and hadn`t felt the need to tell him. “We found out earlier today. We had no time to tell you, yet.” Elena claimed. Yeah, like was really gonna believe that. “So?” he prodded.

 “Bonnie found something in Emily`s grimoire. According to Emily, Jonathan Gilbert never actually succeeded in inventing anything. Emily secretly spelled all of his inventions with magic. The compass, the rings and the device. She pledged her loyalty to Katherine, but she couldn’t stand by and watch innocent people get killed.” Elena explained. Damon snorted. Witches – judgy little things. And the Bennetts seemed to be especially bad. “What about the device?” the dark haired vampire asked. He got the feeling that she was only stalling.

 “It`s a weapon. Against vampires.” Elena finally admitted. “Is it now? And you want me to give the device to Isobel so she can give it to John who is going to use it to kill me?” Damon surmised. “Sorry, darling. I like being a living dead person.” He would destroy that stupid device. And Isobel and John could just go to hell for all he cared. And Katherine too, for that matter.

 Unfortunately Elena once again proved to be very persistent. “No, it'll be useless. Bonnie can take its power away.” The witch nodded and claimed she could take off the original spell. “The problem is - I don’t trust her.” The witch hated him. She would use every chance she got to get back at him. Probably wanted him dead just as much as John Gilbert did. Witches were like that. Elena pleaded, tried to make him change his mind. Obviously Isobel had kidnapped Jeremy and was trying to use him as leverage. “I’ll get Jeremy in my own way.” Maybe with a little help from Ric.

 “Isobel is a vampire and Jeremy could be dead the second you walk through the door.” Stefan spoke up for the first time. Really, these people had no faith in his abilities. “We’re doing this, Damon. And we're doing it my way. Now give me the device. We’re wasting time!” Elena again. That girl could be really damn annoying. And stubborn. But Damon was stubborn as well. “Is she even up for this?” he asked, pointing to the witch.

 Bonnie claimed she had been practising and she also had Emily`s grimoire, so it would be no problem to remove the spell. Okay, so maybe she could do it. But there was still one problem. “I don’t trust you, I tried to kill you.” the older Salvatore reminded Bonnie. She held his stare and shrugged. “You’re right, you can’t trust me.” Oh, she was getting cocky now. What a pity that he hadn`t succeeded in killing her. “But you can trust me.” Elena assured, fixing him with her best puppy dog look. “Bonnie will deactivate the device, I`ll give it to Isobel in exchange for my brother. We`ll be rid of Isobel. Please, Damon.”

 All three of them were staring at him now. Elena pleadingly, Stefan with his usual frown and Bonnie expectantly. He was so going to regret this. But he knew when he was defeated. Heaving a sigh he pulled the device out of his pocket and handed it over, ignoring Elena`s heartfelt “Thank you.”

 They all watched Bonnie work her magic and Damon had to admit that she seemed to know what she was doing. He could only hope she did. When she was finished Elena and Stefan headed to the town square to meet Isobel. Damon insisted on accompanying them. He didn`t trust Isobel. And for good reason. She showed up with her two little minions and threatened Elena, but backed down once she realised that Elena hadn`t come alone either. A phone call home proved that Jeremy was safe, so Elena handed over the device.

 Of course Isobel couldn`t help herself and had to bait Elena, claiming that Damon was in love with the girl. The dark haired vampire looked at her like she was insane and had to stifle a groan when he caught Stefan`s suspicious look. Great! His brother believed it, which would mean a lot of drama in the near future. He really should`ve just killed Isobel when he had the chance. Now it was too late. After she was finally gone he turned away from Stefan and Elena and headed home.

 ***

 He was just pouring himself a drink when Stefan arrived. The younger Salvatore looked troubled. “Say it, whatever it is, purge, get it out.” Damon prodded. Maybe they could get this over with quickly. “It’s about what Isobel said.” Figures. But he couldn`t make it that easy for his brother. Where would be the fun in that? So Damon pretended not to know what Stefan was talking about. The younger one started babbling, something about Damon and Elena being friends and that he didn´t want the girl to get hurt.

 “Elena is a very good friend. Actually, she might qualify as my only… friend. Apart from Alaric, of course. Why? Is that a problem?” Damon smirked. His brother was too easy to rile up. “Well, at the risk of sounding like uh… like a jealous boyfriend…” Stefan continued, but Damon interrupted him. “Oh, there’s no risk. You do.” Because they both knew what this was all about and as much fun as this was he really wanted Stefan to just say it and be done with. He still had plans for tonight after all.

 “History will not be repeating itself where Elena is concerned. Do you understand?” Well, he wasn`t deaf so his brother really didn`t need to shout. Rolling his eyes in annoyance Damon assured him that he and Elena were just friends. But he just couldn`t help himself and had to rile his brother up a bit more. “You know, as a friend I wasn’t looking forward to telling her the truth anyway so, I'll let you do it. I know you guys don’t like to keep secrets from each other.” Stefan´s anger deflated and he looked puzzled. “What truth?”

 “About John.” Now Stefan looked even more puzzled. Seriously, was he the only one around here with the ability to put two and two together? It was so obvious. But if he had to spell it out… “Isobel dated John when she was 15; she gets pregnant and ends up at the doctor’s office of John’s brother. Now, what do you think John’s role is in all this? I mean, go ahead and think about it, I’ll wait.“ the older one mocked. He could practically see the wheels turning in Stefan`s head. “You think that John is Elena’s father?”

 Finally! “Ding, ding, ding!” Damon grinned. That should give Stefan something else to ponder and hopefully he would leave the older Salvatore alone for a while. But he couldn`t resist one final jibe. “Oh and when you do tell Elena and she needs a friend to talk to about anything, I’m here for her.” Still grinning Damon grabbed his jacket and left the house. Sometimes his brother could be quite amusing.

 Halfway to his car he almost ran into Jeremy. He hadn`t heard the boy approach, which meant he had probably already been lurking out there. Not creepy at all. “Your sister isn`t here.” Damon stated, trying to walk past the young Gilbert. “I know. I wanted to talk to you.” That stopped Damon in his tracks. He hadn`t had much dealings with Elena`s brother yet. What could the boy possibly want from him? “I know what you are.” Yeah, big surprise there. “So what? You`ve come to play Van Helsing and kill me?” he asked sarcastically.

 Jeremy quickly shook his head. “No, I`m not like that. I just… You know Anna, right?” he asked tentatively and slowly Damon realized what this surprise visit was all about. He nodded and motioned for the teen to continue. “Have you heard from her lately? Because I’ve left her all this messages and she hasn’t gotten back to me. Not even a text. Something could be seriously wrong and I… I`m worried, okay?” Yes, that was hard to miss. Damon wondered if the teen knew how much he was giving away. The worry was sketched all over his face.

 “I haven`t seen her since the night of the Miss Mystic contest.” he answered honestly. “I guess she fled out of town after your uncle killed her mother.” Jeremy stumbled back like he`d been slapped. “No, he… he can`t…” Damon rolled his eyes. “Your uncle hates vampires. He wants to see us dead. But you already knew that, didn`t you?” Slowly Jeremy nodded. “Yes, I knew that. But still… Are you sure it was John?”

 “Sheriff Forbes told me. Apparently John called her to let her know that he`d taken two vampires out. She sent a few deputies to take care of the bodies.” That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because Jeremy went pale and his heart started racing. “Two bodies?” he whispered and Damon realized his mistake. “An Asian woman and a guy. Liz said nothing about a girl. I think Anna is still alive. She´s a survivor.” he assured. Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief, but he still looked troubled. “You have no idea where she could be?”

 “No. I`m sorry.” And strangely enough he was. He actually felt bad for the teen. It was plain to see that he loved Anna. And Damon suspected the feelings were returned. “Be careful around your uncle. He´s planning something.” he warned, turning to leave. “I will. Damon…” The vampire stopped, glanced back at Jeremy. “I`m not like my uncle.” the teen assured. “I know. I would`ve killed you if I thought you were.” Damon called back, finally getting into his car.

 ***

 A couple of minutes later Damon parked his car in front of an apartment building and got out. Just in time to see Jenna leaving the building. She greeted him with a smile and he mumbled a grumpy “hello” in return. Obviously Alaric wasn`t expecting him this time. Opening the door the teacher mumbled: “Forgot something, Jenna… Oh, hey Damon.” The vampire arched an eyebrow. “Alaric.” He strolled into the apartment without waiting for an invitation, trying to tramp down the jealousy he felt. He was Damon fucking Salvatore. He wasn`t jealous of some woman. And Jenna wasn`t even all that pretty.

 “Jenna told me what happened today. That you gave Elena the device and she handed it over to Isobel.” Ric told him. “Well, Jenna sure is up to date.” Damon replied sarcastically. “Yes, and thanks to her I`m up to date as well. You spent half the day texting me, but didn`t feel the need to fill me in on the important things.” Ric shot back. “There was no time.” The vampire grumbled, annoyed that Ric was snarking at him now. “No time? You didn`t even have five minutes for a quick call?”

 “No, I obviously didn`t. But I`m here now, aren`t I?” Damon´s voice was rising. He`d had a really bad day and he hadn`t come here to listen to accusations. His temper was getting the better of him. But Ric could match him when it came to temper. “Yes, now you`re here. And you even made it before midnight. Wow! I didn`t know I was that unimportant to you that I`d be the last one on your list.” he shot back, his voice rising as well.

 Damon growled. “I had a really crappy day, Ric. I handed over a device that could kill me to someone who wants to kill me and I`m still not a hundred percent sure the little witch really deactivated it. Then my brother was bitching at me because of some stupid shit Isobel said and then I had to tell Jeremy that uncle John killed the mother of his missing girlfriend. And now you`re having a fit, because I didn`t tell you everything straight away?”

 “How the hell should I know that you`ve had a crappy day. I`m not psychic and aside from Jenna nobody tells me anything around here.” Ric spat. By now Damon was really angry. “ You know what, maybe I should just leave again. Then you can spend the night with your precious Jenna, since you seem to prefer her company anyway.”

 He was about to storm out again, find some poor soul to kill and take his frustrations out on, when Ric`s voice, calmer now, held him back. “Damon, wait. Don`t go.” The vampire paused, his hand on the doorknob. He didn`t move a muscle when Alaric walked over to him, when he reached out a tentative hand and put it on the vampire`s shoulder, almost as if he was scared Damon might bolt. When he didn`t, the teacher stepped closer and hugged him from behind. Damon inwardly cursed himself for being this weak, even as he leaned back in the embrace.

 “I`m sorry you had such a bad day.” Ric mumbled against his neck, making him shudder. The teachers anger seemed to have vanished as suddenly as it had spiked. “And I`m sorry for yelling at you. It`s just… a lot has happened today and I was completely oblivious to any of it. My day consisted of supervising my students and grading papers. The most exciting event was my talk with the mother of a student, who insisted I was giving her son bad grades just for the fun of it. I was just angry that no-one had told me what Isobel has done. But it wasn`t fair to take my frustrations out on you. Please don`t go.” Damon freed himself from the embrace and turned around to look at the teacher. Ric was staring at him with a scary intense look, almost as if he was trying to read him. Damon had the niggling feeling he was doing just that. “Okay.” he mumbled after a while.

 “You know, the open relationship… that was Isobel`s idea. I never wanted that. I only agreed because she insisted. And I never took advantage of it. Until I met you.” the teacher said suddenly. Damon frowned at the unexpected change of topic. “Why are you telling me this?” Ric shrugged. “Just wanted you to know. And as for spending the night with Jenna… I don`t want to. We`re friends, nothing more.” he assured. Damon could see that he really meant that and it made his heart beat a little faster.

 But it also meant that Ric had seen right through him, had noticed his jealousy. The teacher was still staring at him. The direction this was taking made him uncomfortable, so he tried to dispel the sudden tense atmosphere. “Okay, now that I know that and we got the yelling at each other part out of the way… I think there were a few things you wanted me to keep in mind for tonight?” The vampire murmured suggestively. Ric smiled softly and let him get away with it. “Yeah, I think I remember something like that.”

 He pulled Damon in for a kiss and the vampire responded enthusiastically, shrugging out of his jacket before reaching out to rid Alaric of his shirt. They broke the kiss only long enough to get Damon`s clingy T-Shirt off, while they stumbled their way to the bedroom. Once there, Ric pushed Damon down onto the bed and leaned over him to place kisses all over his torso. The vampire arched into him with a groan. Always so responsive. Ric grinned and let his tongue dart out to taste the pale skin, loving the way the vampire shivered beneath him.

 Ric`s hands made quick work of the buttons on Damon´s jeans. Getting them down the vampire´s legs was more of a task, but by now he had quite a bit of practice and they came off easy enough. The boxers followed soon after and then he just sat there for a second, staring down at the ethereal creature beneath him, drinking in the sight. All that perfect, pale skin, stretched over lithe muscle, the blue eyes, darkened almost to black. “You`re beautiful.” The compliment rolled off his tongue automatically.

 “You`re quite nice to look at as well.” Damon drawled, letting his eyes rake over Alaric´s body. He smirked when he noticed the blush staining the man`s cheeks. Couldn`t believe Ric wasn`t used to compliments. “But you`re overdressed.” Damon chided. He really had to remedy that. Within seconds Ric found himself on his back, with Damon kneeling next to him. Now that the teacher knew what he was, he didn`t need to hold back so much, didn`t need to hide his superhuman strength and speed. The pants came off quickly, followed by the boxers and now it was Damon`s turn to stare.

 Ric squirmed under his intense gaze, clearly uncomfortable at the close scrutiny. Damon leaned down, nipped at his collarbone, let his tongue trail up the man`s neck to his ear. “You`ve got nothing to be shy about, Ric.” he whispered, loving the way Ric shuddered beneath him. Their lips found each other again as Damon lowered his body onto Ric`s, rubbing against him. The teacher`s hands moved over his back in a gentle caress and Damon allowed Ric to reverse their positions, loving the feel of the man`s broad body pressing him into the mattress.

 Alaric broke away only long enough to grab the lube off the nightstand and squeeze some of it onto his fingers. Then he was pressing two fingers into Damon, curling them just right to hit that certain spot and Damon arched into the touch. Damn, the teacher was extremely good at this. Had always been extremely good at it, in fact. Gasping for breath, Damon urged him on. He didn`t need much preparation, really had no problem handling the short initial pain. Sometimes Ric insisted on taking his time, drawing the foreplay out, but tonight he complied quickly, pulling out his fingers, replacing them with his cock.

 He slid into the vampire in one smooth stroke, then paused to give Damon time to adjust. Always scared of hurting him. His concern was almost as endearing as it was frustrating. “Move, damn it.” the vampire ground out. He moaned when Ric complied, pulling out halfway, before pushing in again, the sharp pain was slowly replaced by pleasure as Ric once again hit that spot. Damon curled one leg around the teacher`s hips, pushing him even deeper. One of his hands tangled in the sheets, the other clutched at the man´s shoulder.

 God, he wanted this. Wanted Ric to forget about Isobel and Jenna, about work and responsibilities and everything else and concentrate only on him. Nothing but him. This was where he could let go. Where he could allow Ric a glimpse of his true feelings, as much as the depth of those scared him. Ric`s honest declaration earlier had caught him off guard, had confronted him with his own emotions. With the thoughts he usually tried to push aside, to ignore as best as he could. He wasn`t ready to deal with those yet.

 Alaric moved slowly at first, but faster when Damon urged him on, snaking a hand between their bodies to grip the vampire`s cock and pump it in time with his thrusts. The pleasure was building quickly, getting almost too intense and Damon could feel his face changing, the capillaries beneath his eyes darkening. Usually he had better control than that, even in the throes of passion, but with Alaric this happened every now and then. Ric had always been able to strip him of his self-control. Groaning the vampire buried his face against Ric`s neck.

 The smell of the blood flowing just beneath the teacher`s skin made the ache in his gums even worse. He wanted to bite. But he knew he would control himself. Had enough practice. He did this every time he could feel his features shift when they were having sex. The trick had worked three years ago and it still worked now. Ric never suspected anything.

 At least that’s what Damon had always thought. Usually the man hadn`t reacted. Had just kept going, maybe even pulled him closer. But this time he suddenly paused in his movements. Damon whimpered at the lack of stimulation, but Ric held still, only pulled back a little.

 “Look at me.” Reluctantly the vampire obeyed the quiet command, surprised when Ric didn`t pull away. Didn`t look shocked. The teacher let his gaze travel over Damon´s features, even reached out to trace the dark veins beneath Damon´s eyes with his fingers, the curve of the vampire´s lips, of the fangs barely hidden beneath. Damon couldn`t see a sliver of fear in his eyes. “It`s okay. You don´t have to hide from me. I know you won´t hurt me.” Ric whispered with total conviction.

 Damon couldn`t formulate an answer. Could only nod and gasp when Ric started moving again. His features shifted, changed back to normal, vamped out again. He just continued looking at Ric, who stared right back. Damon had stopped counting the times they`d had sex, but it had never felt as intimate as this. This was a joining beyond the physical aspect, almost scary in its intensity. All too soon he felt himself toppling over the edge, the orgasm crashing over him like a wave. Almost simultaneously Ric`s rhythm faltered, he stilled and Damon felt himself fill with warmth.

 Ric collapsed down on top of him and the vampire felt a strange sense of loss when he finally pulled out and rolled over onto his back. Damon reached for the tissues on the nightstand and cleaned both of them up, before allowing Ric to pull him down again. He cuddled against the teacher`s side, started tracing strange patterns over his hairy chest. He wanted to say something, but for once words failed him. He couldn`t help but feel that something had changed between them. Something important.

 After a while Ric pulled the covers over both of them. “You should call in sick tomorrow.” Damon spoke up finally. Ric chuckled. “I probably should. But you know that I won`t.” Pretty much the answer he had expected. “Yeah, you`re too damn responsible.” the vampire grumbled, burying under the covers, cuddling even closer. He was halfway on top of Ric by now, but the teacher didn`t seem to mind. “You wouldn`t have me any other way.” he claimed. He already sounded half-asleep, so Damon didn`t even bother to reply. He simply closed his eyes and let Ric`s steady heartbeat lull him to sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

The next morning Ric woke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. He found Damon at the stove, flipping pancakes and couldn`t help but smile. Padding over he dropped a kiss on the vampire´s shoulder, before grabbing a mug of coffee. “Spoiling me again?” Damon flashed him a grin. “Just making sure you keep your strength up.” he replied with a wink. Ric chuckled and sat down at the table. They ate in companiable silence and afterwards Damon even cleaned up, while Ric was in the shower.  
   
“Grill tonight?” the teacher asked as they were about to leave. “Sure.” Damon agreed easily. “See you later then.” Alaric murmured, leaning over to kiss the vampire. Five minutes later they finally made it out of the door, both a little breathless and Ric once again late for work. He barely made it to his classroom on time, but today he couldn`t care less. Something had changed between him and Damon last night and while he still wasn`t ready to address their relationship openly, it was at least a step in the right direction.  
   
***  
   
The day passed by blissfully uneventful for once. Half of his classes were cancelled anyway, to give the students more time for the preparations of the Founders Day parade. Ric couldn`t really understand the council`s obsession with these festivities, but he wasn`t about to complain. Watching his students work on building a float or rehearsing the parade was a lot more fun than actually trying to teach them.  
   
By late afternoon he was finally allowed to leave his post, as other teacher`s came to supervise the kids. He quickly went to the teacher´s lounge to grab his stuff and was about to head out when he found Isobel standing in the hallway. He stopped dead in his tracks, his good mood gone in an instant. “What do you want?” he asked suspiciously. “I’m leaving. I just thought I`d say goodbye.” The teacher snorted. “You couldn't be bothered the first time, so why now?”  
   
“You spent all this time trying to track me down, Ric. What did you think you would find?” Isobel asked. Ric had asked himself the same question. “I don`t know. The woman who gave me this ring? I mean, you act like you don’t care, but you cared enough to protect me after you left. Why?” She shrugged. “I was a different person back then.” she claimed. And maybe she was. Back then, she must`ve still felt something. Now she was only an empty shell. “And that person is gone. The woman that I married, the woman I loved, she’s just… she’s gone. But she`s been gone for a long time, right? I lost you long before you turned.”  
   
“I wanted this. I needed this. It had nothing to do with you.” In other words: he had married a selfish bitch, who never really cared about him. Strangely enough the thought didn`t hurt nearly as much as it should. But something else hurt. “I get why you just left. I mean, I don`t understand it. Probably never will. But I get it. What I don`t get is, why did you make Damon leave? You knew what he meant to me.” He hadn`t really made a big secret out of it. She must`ve known.  
   
“I didn`t want you to become involved in all this, Ric. I wanted you to stay oblivious to the supernatural world. To have the normal life you always talked about. I never wanted this for you.” He couldn`t tell if she was honest or not. If she had really cared enough or if it was just an excuse. Somehow it didn´t really matter. “That wasn`t your choice to make. You had no right to take him away from me.” That probably hurt the most. Isobel smiled and came closer. Ric automatically took a step back. The smile didn`t reach her eyes. If anything it made her look even more false.  
   
“You would have been better off without him. Believe me, Ric. You should turn away and run. While you still can.” Her words made Alaric`s anger spike. Who did she think she was, giving him advice. Trying to split him and Damon up. “Listen to me, Ric. Damon is doomed. And those who are close to him, will go down with him.” Isobel said, her voice never changing in tone. Still sounding light, like she was talking about the weather or her latest vacation. She leaned closer, tried to kiss Ric. It was the final straw. He pulled a hidden stake out of his jacket and plunged it into her stomach without hesitation. Isobel sank to her knees with a startled gasp.   
   
Alaric leaned down. “No, you listen to me, Isobel. Stay away from me. Stay away from Damon and from Elena. Don`t ever show up here again, threatening the people I care about. Because next time, I won`t miss the heart.” he growled with barely contained fury. Certain that he`d gotten his message across he marched away without a backward glance, feeling strangely liberated.  
   
Somehow he couldn`t believe that he`d actually wasted two years searching for that heartless bitch. Although by now he was pretty much convinced that he´d never actually been searching for her in the first place. After her supposed death there had been this horrible feeling. This emptiness and loneliness. This excruciating pain in his chest. Like he had lost something very precious.  
   
Of course he had thought that the death of his wife had been the cause of it. Back then it had been the only logical explanation. But now he was almost certain that he´d never really missed her. That he`d in fact missed Damon, who he couldn`t remember thanks to the compulsion. Still the vampire didn`t need to know that. At least not yet.  
   
***  
   
The next couple of days were rather uneventful. Ric taught his classes, helped with the Founders Day preparations and spent his nights with Damon. Their relationship had deepened, but the teacher still insisted on keeping them a secret and so far Damon hadn`t argued. Isobel had really left town. At least Ric supposed she had, since he hadn`t seen or heard from her since their meeting at school. John Gilbert kept suspiciously quiet as well, fuelling Alaric`s fears that he was planning something.  
   
And then Founders Day was suddenly there and Alaric found himself in the town centre. He was somehow forced into helping with the floats, while his students bustled around, all dressed up in Civil War era clothes, chatting and laughing and being way too loud for Ric`s liking. Somewhere to the side Carol Lockwood was shouting orders, trying to control the chaos. The teacher breathed a sigh of relief when she was finally happy with everything and the parade began.  
   
He crept away quietly, before she could enlist his help for something else. Walking through the crowd he found Damon talking to Bonnie and went to join him. The witch left just as he reached them, a frown marring her face. “What did you say to her?” Damon shrugged. “Thanked her for deactivating the device. Don`t look at me like that, Ric. I`ve been perfectly nice.” The teacher nodded with a smile, not really believing him. He knew that Damon didn`t like the witch. “If you say so, Damon.”  
   
“I was.” the vampire replied indignantly, crossing his arms and pouting for effect. “Okay, I believe you.” Ric relented. Nice was still a vague term and Damon usually had his own idea of nice. “Where have you been all day?” Damon asked, changing the subject. Ric grimaced. “Got roped into helping set up the parade. I`m actually hiding from Carol Lockwood right now.” This caused the vampire to chuckle. “Aww, poor Alaric. Do you want me protect you from the big bad Mrs. mayor?” Ric punched him lightly on the arm. “Oh shut up and watch the parade.”  
   
Still grinning Damon turned back to watch the floats passing by and Ric did the same. The kids had done a great job, he had to give them that. And most of them seemed to have fun. Jeremy`s smile however appeared a bit forced. “Have you talked to Jeremy again?” He glanced at Damon, who continued watching the parade. “No, not really. Didn`t see the need to. I haven`t seen Anna. Although baby Gilbert and I had a little run in earlier. He had a fight with his sister and I told him to stop being a punk.” the vampire told him. Ric snorted. “Yeah, sounds like you.”  
   
The vampire didn`t see the need to reply, so they continued to watch the rest of the parade in silence. Afterwards they strolled around a bit, before going to the Grill for a drink, since it wasn`t likely that Carol Lockwood would show up there and Ric really had no wish to be roped into helping out again. They talked and had a nice time, leaving only when it started to get dark. There were supposed to be fireworks later and Damon claimed they couldn`t miss those.   
   
The town square was still crowded with people. It looked like all of Mystic Falls was gathered for the festivities. Both men stopped when a girl appeared in front of them, seemingly out of nowhere. “Anna! You`re still here?” the surprise in Damon´s voice was evident. The girl looked troubled. “There’s something you need to know. The vampires from the tomb are planning an attack tonight. They want the Founding Families dead. They think I’m with them, but I’m not.”  
   
Ric`s stomach dropped at those words. “When is this supposed to happen?” Damon asked. “When the fireworks start.” Damon and Alaric exchanged a look. “John must know. That`s why he kept an eye on the tomb vamps. He wants to use the invention to kill them.” Ric suspected. Anna gasped. “Then we can’t be here!” She looked ready to bolt, but Damon stopped her. “It doesn’t work, it’s been deactivated.” he calmed the girl. “Well, then a lot of people are gonna die. They’re already here, Damon.”  
   
The vampire nodded grimly and turned to Ric. “You keep those nifty little vampire darts in the car? Sounds like we might need a stake or two.” More than two, Alaric was sure. John may think he was prepared for this, but he probably counted on the invention alone. This night could end in a blood bath. “Warn your brother. And Elena. I`ll grab the weapons.” he decided. Anna told them she would find Jeremy and get him to safety and they all rushed off.  
   
Ric was halfway to his car when he caught sight of Jenna and quickly went to join her. “Jenna, you`ve got to get out of here. The tomb vampires are here and they`re out for revenge.” he explained. “What? Oh my god! Have you seen Elena and Jeremy?” she asked. Ric shook his head. “Damon and Anna are looking for them. Just call them and get the hell away from here.” the teacher instructed, already on the verge of running off, when Jenna stopped him. “Ric, wait! I was looking for you actually. I needed to tell you something.”  
   
He stopped and turned to her. “Can`t it wait?” He had to get the weapons and find Damon again. “I wasn`t sure if it`s important but,… I was just with Bonnie. She was very upset. She told me she had done something horrible and that Elena would never forgive her.” Ric didn`t like the sound of that. He felt a strange sense of foreboding. “Did she say anything else?” They really had no time for normal teenage drama right now. “She wouldn`t tell me any details, but she said she pretended to do something she didn't really do. She said it wasn`t right and her Grams wouldn`t have done it, so she couldn`t either.”  
   
It took only a moment until it clicked. Alaric felt his stomach drop. “The device. She didn`t deactivate it.” It was the only thing that made sense. And it also explained the strange look on her face, earlier today. Damon had thanked her and she had felt guilty. Ric`s heart clenched with worry. He only hoped they would have enough time. “Find Elena and Stefan and get them away from here. Now.” Jenna nodded and took off in a run. Ric sprinted in the opposite direction. The weapons were forgotten. He had to find Damon.  
   
He roughly pushed his way through the crowd, searching for the dark haired vampire with no success and getting more panicked by the minute. After a while he stopped his fruitless search. This wasn`t working. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he pulled out his cell phone and dialled Damon´s number. His heart was pounding while he waited. Finally Damon picked up. “Damon, where are you?” Ric practically shouted. “Just entering Grayson Gilbert’s office. Thought I`d have a little chat with John.” the vampire replied.  
   
“No. Damon get the hell out of there. Bonnie lied about…” Ric didn`t get any further than that, because all of a sudden Damon was screaming in pain. The sound made Ric`s insides turn. “Damon. Damon, can you hear me?” Suddenly the line went dead. Alaric cursed, finally noticing the chaos all around. Various people were on the ground, screaming and writhing in pain. He saw deputies running to the fallen, injecting them with something. Vervain, he supposed. They were rounding up the vampires.  
   
For a moment Ric just stood there and watched in abject horror, unable to move. He saw the deputies taking the vampires away and the sight finally spurred him into action. Whirling around he sped off towards Grayson Gilbert`s office, hoping against hope that Damon would still be there. Would still be alive. He didn`t dare to think of the alternative. He just had to get there on time.   
   
Which proved no small task. Some people were panicking, not knowing what was going on. Others were completely oblivious and continued partying. Getting through the crowd was increasingly difficult. Ric roughly pushed people aside, not caring if he hurt somebody. His heart was racing, the blood pounding in his ears, mingling with the sounds of shouting and cheering all around. Finally he reached the office, just in time to see two deputies carry another vampire inside. So at least he`d found the right spot. Now he only had to get in and get Damon out.  
   
The teacher ducked down behind a parked car, realizing that he couldn`t just barge in. He needed a plan. Peering around the side of the car he spied Jeremy running towards the building and went to intercept him. “No, let me go! They`ve taken Anna.” the teen protested, struggling against his grip. Ric pulled him back into the shadows. “I know, Jeremy. Damon´s in there as well. We`ll get them out. I promise. But we need a plan.” Jeremy stopped struggling and slumped against the car. His chest was heaving, terror written all over his face. Ric was sure he didn`t look much better.  
   
“Do you know the building? Is there another way in?” the teacher asked, trying to come up with a plan. After a second, the boy nodded. “Utility door, around the side.” Ric saw a few deputies emerge from the building, but no more people entering it. They didn`t have much time. “Show me.” They crept around the building and found the door. Alaric entered first. Looking around for a second he saw no-one, but he could hear voices from the basement. “They`re down there.” he whispered, pointing to the stairs. Jeremy nodded and they started towards the staircase, but a voice stopped them. “Hey, what are you doing here?”  
   
Turning around again, Ric noticed a deputy coming towards him. “Ah, I`m just looking for the restrooms.” the teacher mumbled, motioning for Jeremy to go on, while he walked over to the deputy, swaying slightly, pretending to be drunk. “You can`t be here. I must ask you to leave, Sir.” the deputy ordered. Ric stumbled against him. “Yeah, you see… holy shit, what`s that?” he looked over the deputies shoulder, pasting a shocked look on his face. Lucky for him, the guy turned out to be really dumb.  
   
He turned his head to look and Ric used the chance to grab him and knock his head against the wall. The deputy slid to the floor, unconscious. “Sorry man, nothing personal.” the teacher murmured, turning back towards the stairs. Just as he reached them he heard Jeremy shouting “No!”. Rushing downstairs he found the teen wrestling with John, grappling for a stake. There were about a dozen or more vampires lying on the ground, mostly unmoving. He spied Damon instantly, clearly weak, but alive and even conscious. Anna was lying a few feet away, just coming to. Ric`s heart skipped a beat when he noticed the empty gas tanks lying around and the small fire over in the far corner. They couldn`t waste any time.  
   
John finally managed to throw Jeremy off and advanced on Anna, stake in hand. He didn`t appear to have noticed Alaric yet. “No, John. Leave her alone.” Jeremy shouted, struggling to get up again. But Ric was faster. He grabbed John`s shoulder, turned him around and punched him in the face. The teacher knew that he had quite a right hook and fuelled by anger he wasn`t one to trifle with. His punch sent John sprawling backwards, where he stumbled over a vampire and fell to the floor, hitting his head on the concrete. Ric made sure that he wouldn`t get back up all that soon, before turning to Jeremy.  
   
“Grab Anna, get her out of here.” The teen nodded and quickly bent down to pick up his girlfriend. Ric hurried over to Damon and hauled him up, putting an arm around his waist to steady him. “I`ve got you.” The relief he felt was profound, but they weren`t out of danger yet. The vampire smirked. “My knight in shining armour.” Ric managed a weak chuckle. He looked down on John, who was starting to stir. There was blood on the floor, beneath his head, but right at this moment Ric couldn`t care less if John had cracked his skull.  
   
Already the fire was spreading, getting bigger by the minute. They had to get out of there. Now. Jeremy had reached the stairs, carrying Anna bridal style. Without sparing another thought for John, Ric followed him, half carrying, half dragging Damon, who was still weak from the vervain they had obviously injected him with. Luck seemed to be on their side for once. They made it upstairs and out of the main door without encountering anyone. The chaos outside had passed, but there were still a lot of people around. Also a lot of deputies.  
   
Ric turned off to the side and stopped in the shadow of a large building. The parking lot was too far away. They would never make it without raising suspicion. He let go of Damon, who slumped down on the ground. Jeremy set Anna down as well and looked to Alaric for guidance. Thinking quickly the teacher pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them to the teen. “Get my car. We`ll wait here. And hurry.” Jeremy glanced at Anna. He looked torn. Ric clasped his shoulder, looked at him intently. “I won´t let anyone hurt her. I promise.” After a moment`s hesitation the boy nodded and took off.  
   
Alaric crouched down next to the two vampires. He seriously hoped Jeremy would hurry and no-one would stumble upon them while they waited. He was certain he could fight off one or two deputies if he had to, but if there were more they`d be doomed. Both vampires were in no condition to fight. “Stefan…” Damon rasped, his brow etched with worry. “He wasn`t in there. I told Jenna to get him and Elena away. I`m sure he`s fine.” Ric murmured reassuringly. He just hoped they had gotten away in time. But if Stefan had been caught, he would`ve been down there as well.  
   
He heard people shouting close by and then there was the sound of an explosion. The Gilbert building, Ric suspected, ducking down further into the shadows. He felt a pang of guilt, thinking of the deputy he had left unconscious in the office, thinking of John Gilbert, wounded down in the basement. He didn`t know if the two men had gotten out in time. Then he looked at Damon and realized that sometimes you just had to set priorities. If the two men were dead now, it was their own fault. They had decided to mess with vampires.  
   
Getting up again, Ric peeked around the corner nervously. The building was completely on fire now. People were running around, others stood watching almost fascinated, while some deputies tried to control the chaos. Where was Jeremy? Why wasn`t he back yet? Ric couldn`t tell how much time had gone by. To him it seemed like they`d been waiting for hours. He could hear sirens in the distance, getting closer, making him even more nervous. If someone discovered them hiding here… “Your heart is racing.” Damon suddenly remarked. “Yeah and it won`t stop racing until we`re safely out of here.” the teacher admitted. Damon struggled to his feet. The vervain was slowly wearing off, but he was still unsteady.  
   
Ric pushed him back against the wall. “Stay put.” The vampire looked like he wanted to argue, but finally Jeremy returned. He was breathing hard, like he had run all the way. “I parked the car over there. There are deputies everywhere. They wouldn`t let me drive closer.” the teen explained. Alaric nodded. “It`s okay. Grab Anna and lead the way.” The girl had been silent the entire time, just sitting there, staring off into space. She startled out of her trance when Jeremy lifted her into his arms again. Ric slung an arm around Damon`s waist to steady him and they started towards the car.  
   
Alaric`s heart was pounding and he kept glancing around nervously, but no-one seemed to take much notice of them. All were focused on the burning house. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally saw his car. Just a few more steps… Suddenly a deputy stepped in front of Jeremy, forcing the boy to halt. Ric stifled a curse. They were so close. “What`s wrong with her?” the deputy asked, frowning at Anna. Damon broke away from Ric`s grip. He swayed slightly, but managed to stand on his own. “She´s drunk. Some guy from the football team spiked her drink.” the vampire explained.  
   
The deputies frown deepened, even as Jeremy nodded. “Do you need help?” the deputy finally asked. “No, thanks. We got this. We`re taking the kids home and I`ll make sure the guy gets his punishment.” Ric assured. “Ahh, you`re a teacher, right? Didn`t recognize you at first.” the deputy muttered, turning his attention towards Alaric. “Yes, Alaric Saltzman. I`m the history teacher.” Ric introduced himself, pasting a smile on his face. “We really should get her home now, let her sleep it off.” The guy nodded. “Make sure she drinks enough water. And drive safely.” he cautioned. “I will. Thanks for the tip.”   
   
The deputy left and they quickly continued towards the car. Damon slumped against the teacher´s side again, muttering: “That was close.” Ric tightened his arm around the vampire. “Too close for my liking.” he murmured back. Finally they reached the car. Jeremy put Anna into the backseat and got in next to her, while Ric helped Damon into the passenger seat. He had to resist the urge to speed off, forcing himself to drive slowly instead, so as not to raise further suspicion.   
   
Once they had left the town square behind, Ric risked a glance at Jeremy. “Call your aunt. Make sure she and the others got home safe.” He had seen the look of apprehension on Damon`s face. The vampire worried about his brother, even if he didn`t like to admit it. Alaric listened to Jeremy, talking quietly. “She`s home. Elena and Stefan are with her. They`re all okay.” the teen let them know, before telling Jenna the short version of what had happened. Ric breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to relax at least a little. “I can drop you off at home, before I`ll take Damon to the boarding house.” he offered.  
   
Jeremy told his aunt he`d be home soon and he would be bringing Anna with him. The girl mumbled a protest, but Jeremy simply pulled her closer and declared: “You`re staying with me. I`m not letting you out of my sight again.” His voice sounded shaky and Ric could relate. He`d gotten way too close to losing Damon again. These close calls really had to stop.   
   
Jenna came running out as soon as they pulled into the driveway of the Gilbert home. “Stefan`s staying with Elena tonight. I haven`t heard anything from John so far.” she let Ric know. The teacher nodded and promised to call tomorrow. Jeremy helped Anna out of the car and carried her into the house, although the vervain must have worn off enough by now to allow her to walk on her own. Ric waited until they had all disappeared into the house, before starting the car again and driving off.  
   
The rest of the drive passed in silence. When they reached the boarding house Damon was able to walk on his own without swaying or staggering. Alaric followed him into the house, watched him pause near the stairs. “I`m okay. You don`t need to stay.” the vampire said quietly, without looking at him. “But I want to stay.” Ric answered. Damon turned to face him. “Do you? Stefan could come home before you`ve got the chance to sneak out.” Harsh words, but the teacher didn`t bat an eyelash. He knew that Damon was likely to lash out when he was feeling off-balance. “I don`t care. I almost lost you tonight. Again. I just … I can`t lose you, Damon.” he whispered, his voice failing him.   
   
The vampire pulled him closer, hugged him almost fiercely. “You won`t lose me.” he promised. Ric wrapped his arms around him and just held on tight for a moment, breathed in his scent, enjoyed the feeling of Damon pliant and alive (or at least undead) in his arms. “Let´s go to bed.” Damon murmured after a while, pulling away reluctantly. They climbed the stairs and entered the vampire`s bedroom.   
   
Alaric kicked off his shoes, watched Damon do the same. “Damn, should`ve grabbed a blood bag before coming up here.” the vampire muttered suddenly. He stopped unbuttoning his shirt and looked towards the door as if contemplating whether he should go to get one or not. Making a spontaneous decision, Ric pulled off his own shirt and stepped up to him. “No need. You`ve got me right here.” Damon looked at him in surprise. “You sure?” The teacher nodded without hesitation. They had only done this once so far, but he had to admit that the thought of doing it again had crossed his mind quite a few times. “I`m sure.”  
   
Damon stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly trying to decide if he was honest or not. Finally he nodded and kneeled down on the bed, patting the spot in front of him. “Come here.” Ric complied and sat down, his heart rate speeding up again. He shivered when the vampire`s arms slid around him and his hands started gently caressing Ric`s torso. “Just relax.” Damon whispered. His breath ghosted over Ric`s neck, made goose bumps rise on his skin.  
   
With a sigh the teacher closed his eyes and relaxed into the embrace, tilting his head to the side to give Damon better access. Finally the tension seeped out of his body. The fear that had gripped him once he realized what Bonnie had done vanished. They were safe. For now.  
   
Damon´s lips trailed over his neck, kissing and nipping lightly. Ric flinched when the fangs pierced his skin, but the short, initial pain faded quickly. The first time Damon had fed from him it had been pure sex. This was different. Instead of the lust and overwhelming passion there was a warm, tingling feeling, that slowly spread through his whole body and made his limbs feel heavy. Alaric could swear he could feel Damon´s contentment as the vampire fed from him.   
   
Finally Damon made a strange noise, some mixture of a moan and a purr and withdrew his fangs. He licked over the wound, clearing away a few stray drops of blood. “Want me to fix that?” Hesitating only a little, Ric nodded. He had already tasted Damon´s blood the last time, so why not again? And he really had no desire to explain the bite-mark or hide it with a scarf.   
   
Damon moved around so that he was sitting next to the teacher. He bit his own lip and Ric leaned in with a smile, licked away the small amount of blood that welled out of the wound before it closed, before pressing his lips to the vampire´s. The kiss was slow and sensual. Ric`s hand tangled in Damon`s dark hair, while Damon´s hands lightly rested on the teacher`s hips.   
   
They broke apart when the need for air got too great. Ric`s hand touched the side of his neck. The wound was already closing. Damon watched him, looking relaxed and sleepy. Pretty much like Ric felt right now. Wordlessly the teacher pulled off his jeans and crawled under the covers, smiling when Damon turned off the light and did the same. Ric pulled him closer and the vampire cuddled into his arms willingly. The events of the day were finally taking their toll and both men fell asleep quickly.


	20. Chapter 20

Damon woke with a start in the middle of the night. He blinked into the darkness, wondering what had disturbed his sleep, when he heard it again. A noise from downstairs. Someone was sneaking around in the house and he was pretty sure it wasn`t Stefan. Detangling himself from Alaric`s arms he got up quietly. The teacher mumbled in protest and turned over to hug the pillow instead. Damon grinned and shook his head fondly. He would`ve loved to stand there a moment longer and just watch Ric, but there were more pressing matters at hand.  
   
Silently he snuck out of the room and down the stairs, spotting the dark silhouette almost immediately. It took him only a second to recognize the nightly visitor. “Elena, what are you doing here?” The girl whirled around in shock. She obviously hadn`t heard him approach. “Damon, I … I needed to see you.” she whispered, stepping closer. The vampire frowned, glanced at the clock. “It`s 3 am in the morning.” Elena averted her eyes. “I know. I`m sorry.”   
   
“Where`s Stefan?” She looked up again, bit her lip. Damon wondered why she was so nervous. “I left him sleeping in my bed. I know I shouldn`t have come here, but… after what happened tonight I just needed to make sure you`re okay.” The vampire snorted. “And you couldn`t have called or waited until morning?” He would never understand that girl and her annoying need to check up on everybody. But this was strange even for her. “I had to see you.” she said again. “What happened tonight, I … it made me realize how much you mean to me.”  
   
This was taking a turn he didn`t like. She couldn`t really mean the words the way he was interpreting them. The vampire just stared at her, completely puzzled. Before he had time to react she suddenly closed the distance between them and kissed him. For a second he leaned in. When he`d first come back to Mystic Falls, he had wanted this. Wanted her. But now it felt wrong. Breaking the kiss, Damon grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed her away. “Elena, don`t.”   
   
She looked at him with wide eyes. Had obviously not been expecting him to reject her. “You`re a sweet girl and I like you, but this… This is wrong. It`s not gonna happen.” He couldn`t believe he was saying this. “Go back to Stefan.” Elena stumbled backwards without taking her eyes off him. Then she turned around and ran.   
   
Damon raked a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration. What the hell? He turned towards the stairs and jumped in shock. Alaric was standing on top of the staircase, watching him with a strange look. „What was that all about?“ the teacher questioned. Damon shrugged. “Hell if I know.” He slowly moved up the stairs, walked past Alaric without looking at him directly. “You pushed her away.” Ric noticed, while he followed the vampire back into his bedroom. “Yeah.” Finally Damon turned around and met his eyes. He couldn`t read the look on the teacher`s face. Had no idea what Ric was thinking and it was unnerving him. “You didn`t think I would?”  
   
“I wasn`t sure what you`d do.” the teacher admitted. Damon turned away with a frown. Did Ric really think so little of him? Did he really believe Damon would run off with some pretty girl? Or was he only scared because it had been Elena? Because Elena looked like Katherine and corrupting her would hurt Stefan?  
   
The vampire didn`t move when he heard Ric step closer. “Look at me, Damon.” Slowly Damon complied. Ric`s face still gave nothing away, but there was an intensity to his voice the vampire had seldom heard. “You`ve got to understand me, Damon. This thing between us… I have no idea what it means. What any of this means. Looking at our history, can you really not understand that I`m… that I`m scared you`ll leave as soon as something better comes along? What if Katherine returns? You`ll disappear again. And maybe this time you won`t make me forget and it`ll be even worse, because instead of just a vague empty feeling I`ll actually remember what I`ve lost.”  
   
For a moment Damon was rendered speechless. He`d really had no idea how Ric felt about all this. Felt about him. They`d never talked about this thing between them, what it meant, where it would lead. Not three years ago, not now. If Damon was honest with himself, he had to admit that he had been insecure. Afraid to ask what exactly Ric felt for him. It had never crossed his mind that the teacher might be just as insecure and afraid as he was.   
   
The vampire bit his lip nervously. He didn`t like to talk about his feelings. Didn`t really know how to voice them. But he knew he had to say something now. They couldn`t keep this thing unaddressed forever and just hope that it would work out in the end. He also knew that he would have died tonight if Ric hadn`t come to save him. Again. Still it didn`t make it any easier to find the right words.  
   
“When I first came back to Mystic Falls, it was because of Katherine. I wanted to free her from the tomb.  Then I met Elena and she looked just like Katherine… it was… weird. I flirted with her, mostly because I knew it would rile up Stefan. Back then I only wanted Katherine. And then I found out that she wasn`t even in the tomb. That she knew where I was the whole time, but didn`t want me to find her. That she never loved me. It crushed me, at first. But then I got over it and for a moment I really contemplated going after Elena.” he admitted haltingly.  
   
“She looked like Katherine, but she was… like a better, sweeter version of her. And earlier… when she kissed me… for a second I was tempted. But it felt wrong. I realized that I never really wanted her. It wouldn`t work out. She`d want me to change, to become a second Stefan. I`ve never been the good guy. I don`t want to be the good guy. She wouldn`t understand. You do. You accept me the way I am.”  
   
Ric regarded him with raised eyebrows. Had listened to his halting confession without showing much reaction. “So you like me, because I accept the fact that you`re a homicidal vampire with psychopathic tendencies?” he asked now. Damon shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Maybe?” Alaric snorted and turned away. Damon hesitantly took a step closer.   
   
“I like you because you understand me. You don`t judge me. Sometimes I think you`re the only one who ever really understood me. And leaving you two years ago, making you forget…. that was probably the stupidest thing I ever did. And believe me, I did a lot of stupid things in my life.” This confession wasn`t easy for the vampire. He wasn`t used to that much honesty.  
   
And still Alaric seemed torn. “So you don`t want Elena?” Damon shook his head. If the scene earlier had proven anything, then that he didn´t want her. Had never really wanted her in the first place. But Ric wasn`t finished. “What about Katherine? What if she suddenly shows up here and wants you back?” Damon hesitated. He had asked himself the same question, had wondered what he would do. “I`ve spent 145 years searching for her, only to find out that she never wanted me to find her. If she came back now, I`d tell her it was too late. I`ve moved on.” he said honestly.  
   
Finally the teacher nodded and sat down on the bed. “Okay.” Damon frowned down on him. “Okay? That´s all I get for pouring my heart out? Okay?” He felt his anger rise, was just about to tell Ric where he could stick his okay, when the teacher chuckled and pulled him down onto the bed, so they were at eye level. “What more do you need me to say, Damon? Okay, I believe you. Okay, let´s just forget about Elena and Katherine and Isobel and move on. Just you and me.” That sounded a lot better, but Damon wasn`t about to give in that easily and just continued to look at the teacher.  
   
“Guess we`re both not exactly good at vocalizing feelings. But I trust you. I thought you knew that.” Ric said with a sigh. “You never said that.” the vampire pointed out. “I let you feed from me. Twice. I thought that would`ve been prove enough.” Well, he might have a point there, Damon had to admit. “Okay.” he mumbled finally, making Ric chuckle. The teacher looked like he wanted to comment, but Damon cut him off. “Hey, it`s late and I almost got killed tonight. Again. Give me a break.”  
   
“Yeah, you really got to stop doing that.” Alaric muttered. “Don´t tell me. Tell John Gilbert.” the vampire shot back, noticing the strange look on his friend´s face. “You think he made it out of the building in time?” Damon shrugged. He didn`t really care, truth be told. “Knowing our luck, he probably did.” Anything else would be too easy. Their life was never this easy. Ric nodded. “Then we`ll find a way to get rid of him for good. Together.” There was no mistaking the determination in his voice.   
   
“But as you said, it`s late. And it´s been a tough day, so… sleep?” The vampire readily agreed and they settled down again, cuddled against each other. Damon had trouble falling asleep again. He replayed the conversation in his head, glad he had finally said these things aloud. And it had been less awkward than he expected. Maybe they really had a chance. And while he lay there in the darkness, listening to Alaric`s even breathing, a smile spread over his face and for the first time in a long while he dared to hope.  
   
***  
   
The next time they were awoken by the incessant ringing of Damon´s cell phone. It was still partially dark outside, not even really morning yet. Grumbling the vampire answered his phone, after recognizing the sheriff`s number. “Damon, it`s…. Caroline was in an accident. And.. can you meet me at the hospital?” Liz asked, her voice quivering. The vampire stifled a sigh. “I`ll be right there.” He put the phone down and got out of bed, not surprised to find Ric awake as well. “That was the sheriff. She wants me to meet her at the hospital. Caroline had an accident.”  
   
“Want me to come with you?” Ric asked without hesitation. Damon nodded, grateful for the support. They got dressed quickly and Alaric drove them to the hospital, where they found Liz at the reception desk. “Liz.. Is she okay?” the vampire asked, noting the worry on the sheriff`s face. “She's weak. They're doing everything they can, but... they don't know if she's going to make it. And… I need your help Damon.” she said. Damon nodded. “Sure, anything Liz.” The sheriff glanced at Alaric, who had been silently watching the exchange.  
   
“It`s okay, Liz. Ric is up to date. I told you I would enlist his help.” the vampire reminded her. “Whatever I can do to help.. just tell me.” the teacher offered. “I guess you both know what went down last night?” the sheriff asked. Both men nodded. “Why did no-one tell me about the plan?” Damon wanted to know, although he already had a pretty good idea. “I wasn`t told either. John Gilbert and the Mayor went behind my back. I would`ve never allowed this to happen, Damon. Believe me. I even tried to stop it.” He did believe her. Despite the fact that she hated vampires, he kinda liked the woman.  
   
“Mayor Lockwood is dead. They thought he was a vampire. They put him in the basement.” she continued. “Mayor Lockwood was a vampire?” Ric asked in surprise, glancing at Damon for confirmation. Liz quickly shook her head. “No, no. A mistake was made. They said he dropped like the others when John's device went off but he… he couldn't have been a vampire. I've known the man my whole life. And now Carol Lockwood is gonna want answers and all I can think of right now is Caroline and ...” the sentence ended in a sob. It was strange to see this tough woman cry. Damon pulled her into a hug, comforting her awkwardly.  
   
She cried against the vampire`s shoulder, seemingly grateful to finally have someone to rely on. Damon actually felt bad for her. After a few minutes she pulled away, wiping her eyes. “God, I`m so sorry.” she muttered, embarrassment colouring her tone. “Don`t worry about it.” the vampire shrugged it off. “We`ll see what we can find out. You just stay here and…” He had no idea how to finish that sentence. “Caroline is a fighter. She`ll make it.” Ric cut in. Liz nodded gratefully.  
   
Walking away the two men spied Bonnie and Elena in the hallway. “Damon…” Ric started, but the vampire ignored him and made his way over. Just in time to hear Elena ask the witch if there was anything she could do for Caroline. “She doesn't know how, do you? No, you don't because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that.” He just couldn`t help but rub it in. Stupid witch had almost gotten him killed last night. “Well, I can take down a vampire. That spell was easy to learn.” the witch shot back, glaring at Damon. “That`s not exactly helpful, Bonnie.” Alaric cut in sharply.  
   
Damon had to stifle a grin at her dumbfounded expression. He loved the fact that Ric was protecting him. But the teacher was right. There were important things to take care of right now. He could worry about the judgy little witch later. “I can give Caroline some blood.” he offered, but Elena declined immediately. “Just enough to heal her. She will be safe in the hospital and it will be out of her system in a day.” the vampire reasoned. “It's too risky, I can't agree to that.” Elena insisted. Strangely enough even Bonnie disagreed with her. “This is Caroline. We can't let her die.” She turned to Damon. “Do it.”  
   
The vampire raised his eyebrows at the obvious command. Did she actually think she could boss him around? After everything that had happened? “She`s right, Elena. Let him save Caroline.” Ric again, playing the voice of reason. Finally Elena nodded, albeit reluctantly. Ric turned to Damon again. “Will you need help, getting into her room?” Damon shook his head. “I guess I`ll have to wait a bit, but then I can just compel a nurse. It`ll be easy.” he assured.  
   
“Good. Then you`ll excuse me. Bonnie, can I talk to you for a second?” The witch looked just as surprised by Alaric`s request as Damon felt. He watched the two of them move away a few steps. Not far enough to be out of the vampire`s earshot however. Damon was sure Ric knew that, so he had no problem listening in.   
   
“This vampire hate thing you`ve got going on.. it has to stop, Bonnie.” the teacher stated firmly. “What? You don`t ...” Bonnie started to protest, but Ric cut her off. “I know you went through a lot and I understand where you`re coming from. Believe me, I do. But this is going nowhere. You`re putting Elena in an impossible position, making her chose between you and her boyfriend. And that Caroline´s in there right now, fighting for her life -  that´s your fault, Bonnie. Caroline got hurt because of your hatred. Because you lied to your best friend. Think about it.”  
   
He turned his back on her and the young witch stormed off, tears forming in her eyes. Well, Damon never thought Ric had it in him, but he certainly liked this protective streak. He noticed Elena looking after her friend worriedly. “She`ll get over it.” The girl frowned at him, but didn`t say anything. Noticing that they were alone for once, Damon decided to get the inevitable, awkward conversation over with and told her they needed to talk about last night.  
   
“A lot of things happened last night. What exactly do you mean?” Great, now she was playing dumb. “Your little visit at the boarding house earlier.” Damon explained. Elena gave him a puzzled look. “But I wasn`t at the boarding house.” The vampire stifled a curse. “Really? You`re going to pretend it never happened?” He couldn`t believe this. “I don`t know what you`re talking about, Damon.” she insisted. “I`m talking about the fact that you showed up in the middle of the night, telling me you were concerned. That you had to see me. You kissed me, Elena.”  
   
The brunette took a step back and looked at him like he`d lost his mind. “I wasn`t at the boarding house, Damon and I certainly didn`t kiss you. I was with Stefan the whole night.” she claimed. Damon was about to retort, when all of a sudden Stefan appeared next to him. “She´s telling the truth, Damon. I couldn`t sleep. I watched her the whole night. She didn`t even leave the room.” the younger Salvatore insisted. This was getting ridiculous. Damon hadn`t been hallucinating. Ric had seen her as well.  
   
“Okay, A – that`s creepy and B – I don`t believe it. She was there.” Damon shot back. By now he had to fight the urge to shout. He was already in a bad mood, so now was not the time to provoke him. Stefan took a step closer to his brother and glared at him. “What game are you playing now? Are you trying to make me jealous? Cause it`s not working.” he accused. “I`m not the one playing games.” the older one growled, his voice rising, despite his attempt to stay calm. Suddenly a strong hand landed on his shoulder. Alaric – who else. “What`s going on here?” the teacher asked.   
   
“Nothing, Alaric. Just my brother being his usual twisted self.” Stefan said angrily. Damon snorted. “Elena suddenly can`t remember coming to the boarding house earlier. And she also can`t remember kissing me.” he explained, actually calming down a little under Ric´s touch. “Because she wasn`t there.” Stefan insisted again. “Sorry to tell you this Stefan, but she was there. I saw her.” Ric let them know. “But I wasn`t…” Elena started protesting again, but was interrupted by the arrival of Jenna, who hurried up to the group.  
   
“Elena, I came as soon as I got your message. How is Caroline?” Elena frowned and wanted to know where her aunt had been. “At the fire department. I had to fill out a report. I told you earlier.” The brunette shook her head. “No, you didn't.” Jenna insisted that she did. This went back and forth a few times. It was rather comical to watch. Until Damon suddenly realized what all this confusion meant. “Oh you`ve got to be kidding me.”   
   
All eyes turned to him. “Katherine.” he muttered darkly. It took a moment until it clicked. He could practically see the moment the others understood. “You mean Katherine was at the boarding house earlier?” Ric asked. Damon nodded. “Pretending to be Elena.” Just great. Why did she have to show up now? Just a couple of month ago, Damon would have rejoiced. Now he just wanted her gone from his life. She really had some timing.   
   
“What does she want?” Elena asked. “Do you think she… she´s after me?” Her voice quivered and Stefan quickly pulled her into his arms. “If she wanted you dead, you would be dead by now. But you're not. So clearly she has other plans.” Damon mused. “Right and we need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process.” Stefan spoke up again. Damon snorted. “She's Katherine. She loves to play games and you're fooling yourself if you think you're going to find out what she's been up to before she wants you to know.”  
   
“And what do you propose we do?” the younger Salvatore asked, clearly annoyed. The older one smirked. “I'm just gonna ignore the bitch.” Easy as that. Elena looked frightened and Stefan warned that this wouldn`t be smart. But Damon insisted that being ignored would lure Katherine out. Force her to make a move.. If there was anything that woman hated, it was being ignored. “Yeah? And then what? What are you going to do then?” Stefan wanted to know. Damon shrugged. “Stake her; rip her head off, something poetic. We'll see.”  
   
“Maybe John knows something.” Elena muttered suddenly. Stefan nodded, looking thoughtful. “You`re right, John could know something through Isobel. Your mother was in touch with Katherine. Where is John? Has anyone seen him?”  
   
“He´s at home.” Jenna let them know and Damon sighed in annoyance. He knew the guy wouldn`t be dead. Would`ve been too easy. “We left Jeremy and Anna at home.” Elena suddenly remembered. “Don`t worry. They`re safe.” Jenna assured. “John stumbled in late last night. He was pretty bad off. Looked like he`d been in a brawl. I wasn`t surprised, after what Jeremy had told me, but I pretended to be all concerned. He didn`t want to go to the hospital, so I patched him up. Slipped a few sleeping pills into his tea and chained him to the bed post once he was asleep. He´s going nowhere.”  
   
Elena looked completely shocked, while Damon and Ric chuckled. The vampire mused that he might actually start liking that woman. “Nice idea.” he commented, earning himself a grin. “It was spontaneous.” Jenna turned towards her niece again. “So, if you want to question him…” Swallowing hard, Elena nodded. “Stefan and I will do that.” she decided. “Be careful. She could continue posing as Elena.” the younger Salvatore warned, before hurrying off with his girlfriend in tow.  
   
“And what do we do now?” Jenna asked. Damon noticed the quarterback exiting Caroline´s room and remembered his earlier promise. “Wait here, I`ve got to take care of something.” he ordered. Ric nodded his understanding, so Damon went over and peered into the room. Liz was sitting at her daughter´s bedside. Not good. He had to get her out of there. Looking around he spied a nurse walking by and stopped her. “Get the sheriff out of the room for a few minutes. Tell her to fill out some forms or something.” he ordered, compelling her. The nurse nodded and followed him into the room.  
   
“Sheriff Forbes? You`ll need to fill out another form.” Liz looked up, the exhausting showing clearly on her face. “Another one?” The nurse nodded and told her it was very important. “I can wait here while you`re gone.” Damon offered. Liz thanked him and followed the nurse. Damon took her vacated seat and looked down at the unconscious girl. She looked pale and lifeless, lying there, hooked to machines, her blonde hair framing her head like a halo. Checking to make sure that no-one was around, the vampire bit his wrist and forced some blood into her mouth.  
   
Caroline swallowed automatically, almost like her body was recognizing the blood as medicine. Damon gave her a little more than probably necessary. Then he pulled his wrist away and carefully wiped the blood from her lips. “Guess I owed you one, Blondie. I wasn`t exactly the picture perfect boyfriend.” he muttered. Understatement of the year. He had been horrible. Had abused the poor girl and bossed her around. Had used her desperate wish to feel loved to spy on his brother and Elena. And the saddest thing was, that he actually understood her on some level. This need to feel loved, to feel like you mattered to someone. It was something he knew all too well.  
   
He startled out of his reverie when Liz returned. “Thank you for staying with her.” she said with a grateful smile. Damon nodded and got up. “She`s strong. She´ll be out of here in no time at all. You`ll see.” The sheriff resumed her position at Caroline`s bedside. “And don´t worry about Carol Lockwood. Ric and I will take care of it.” the vampire promised. Liz thanked him again, so he left the room quietly and re-joined Ric and Jenna.


	21. Chapter 21

The day turned out to be a tough and hectic one. Damon wished himself back to the quiet moments that morning in bed with Ric more than once. They parted ways shortly after leaving the hospital. While Alaric went to the Gilbert`s with Jenna for a late breakfast and maybe a talk with John, Damon talked to a few of Liz’ deputies about last night to make sure no-one had seen him go down thanks to the Gilbert device. As far as he remembered only John had been there at the time, but that dick had injected him with vervain and Damon had been unconscious for a while.  
   
Lucky for him there had been so much chaos that nobody seemed to have paid much attention. After a short stop at the boarding house to change clothes and get some blood, the vampire paid a visit to Carol Lockwood, who demanded to know exactly who was responsible for killing her husband. The vampire had a hard time calming her down, even more so when Liz joined them a while later and the two women started blaming each other for what had happened.  
   
In Damon`s opinion Carol should be happy to finally be rid of that dick of a husband, but he wisely kept that thought to himself. In the end both women agreed to let him handle the investigation and Carol busied herself with greeting guests again. It seemed like the whole town had decided to stop by and pay their condolences. Liz used the chance to tell Damon of Caroline`s quick recovery. “I`m glad to hear that, Liz.” the vampire said with a smile.  
   
Looking around he spotted Mrs Lockwood talking to some guy he didn´t know and asked the sheriff about him. “It's the mayor's younger brother, Mason Lockwood.” Liz let him know. Damon stifled a curse. Just what they needed – another Lockwood. “Is he on the council? Like John Gilbert was when he rolled in?” The sheriff shook her head and assured him that Mason was nothing like John. She explained that he was actually a nice guy, who didn`t believe in the whole supernatural stuff and wanted nothing to do with the council. Well, at least some good news.  
   
But there was still the puzzling fact that the Gilbert device had taken the Mayor down. Damon had seen him in the basement. Had even talked to him. The vervain hadn`t affected him, so he clearly was no vampire. The tricky question was: What was he then? Damon had no idea, but he wanted to find out.   
   
Strolling outside he was surprised when Bonnie walked up to him. The witch really had some nerve. “Did you know the Gilbert device affected Tyler Lockwood?” she asked. Okay, this was interesting. She certainly had his attention now. “I know it took the mayor down.” the vampire answered. If Tyler had been affected as well, that meant there had to be something special about the Lockwoods. Or rather – something supernatural. “Don't you want to know why?”  
   
Damon rolled his eyes at the stupid question. “Yes Bonnie, I would love to know why a non-vampire was tortured by the vampire torture device that you let John Gilbert use against us. Speaking of your guilt, how's Caroline?” She actually flinched at his accusation, but didn`t back down. “Much better.” Damon smirked. “You're welcome.” Which was obviously the wrong thing to say, because the witch narrowed her eyes at him. “Doesn't undo the bad. I know what you are Damon. What you`ve done. You might have Elena, Alaric and the sheriff and everybody else fooled, but not me. One wrong move and I'm gonna take you out.”   
   
“Oh stop the empty threats, judgy.” the vampire muttered. Bonnie just continued staring at him and seconds later a searing pain exploded in his head, so excruciating that it almost brought him to his knees. It was a lot like the pain last night, when the device had been activated. Just not as intense. After a few moments the witch smiled and walked away and the pain ebbed. Damon watched her go, taking deep breath, trying his hardest to control the rage, the desire to snap her neck right then and there. He felt a presence behind himself and spoke without taking his eyes off Bonnie. “I should have killed her when I had the chance.”  
   
“But you didn`t. And I guess you had your reasons for that.” Alaric answered. Finally Damon turned to face him. “I did try.” Ric raised his eyebrows at that, but didn`t comment. “You came with the Gilberts?” Damon asked, glancing to the side where he could see Elena and Jenna talking to Carol. “Yes, I drove Jeremy and Anna. She´s going to stay with them. I think Elena isn´t all too happy about the idea and Anna`s a little uncertain as well, but Jenna insisted and she can be quite stubborn.” he told the vampire.  
   
Well, that was a surprising turn of events. “What does John think about that?” Damon wanted to know. Ric shrugged. “I don`t think anyone really cares. From what I gathered your brother threatened him and Jeremy had words with him as well. He was packing when we left. So I guess we`re finally rid of him.” That sounded too good to be true. Especially when Stefan had done the threatening.   
   
“No-one leaves town because my brother threatened him.” Damon remarked. Alaric shrugged. “I might have done some threatening as well.” he admitted sheepishly and Damon couldn`t help but grin. Yes, he could imagine that Ric`s threats were a lot more effective. The guy had a tendency to defend Damon and John had felt the force of his wrath more than once now. “He`s given his ring to Jeremy, by the way. I have no idea how the boy managed that.” Ric quickly changed the subject. Before the vampire could comment on that, Elena joined them, wanting to talk to Damon in private, so Ric clapped him on the back and left. Really helpful.   
   
The vampire turned to Elena, who was giving him her concerned look again and asked how he was doing. “Great Elena. Walking on sunshine. Thanks for asking.” He turned to leave, not wanting to deal with her right now, but she was persistent and held him back. “We should be able to talk about this, Damon. We're close enough now. I really want to know how you are doing. I mean, you thought I kissed you and then you found out that Katherine`s back and … I think that you're hurt.”  
   
“I don't get hurt, Elena.” he claimed. “No, you don't admit that you get hurt. You get angry and cover it up and then you do something stupid.” Okay, she might know him a little better than he´d thought. And she seemed genuinely worried. Which would be almost nice, if she weren`t so damn annoying. “I`m fine, Elena.” Damon insisted, actually glad when Bonnie showed up and interrupted them. Who would`ve thought he`d ever be glad to see the witch?  
   
She had bad news. Of course she had. Obviously Katherine had shown up at the Lockwood`s, pretending once again to be Elena. Stefan was taking a walk with her now, which scared Elena who wanted to go in search of them. Damon warned her not do that, since she was no match for Katherine, but as always she wouldn`t listen. Rolling his eyes, the vampire finally complied and went with her.   
   
They found Stefan on a bench, bleeding from a wound to his stomach, which sent Elena into another hysteric fit. It took the younger Salvatore a few minutes to convince her that he wasn`t badly hurt and calm her down. Damon watched them, warring between amusement and annoyance. “What did Katherine want?” he interrupted after a while. Stefan hesitated. “She said she came for .. for me.” he said finally, shooting Damon an apologetic look and quickly continuing: “But I don`t believe her. She`s just trying to play us against each other. You do know that right?”   
   
Damon snorted. “Brother, don't you worry. Our bond is unbreakable.” he joked. Which only served to worry Stefan even further. “We need to stay united against her. She will try to break you, she will try to break us and how we respond to that will define us. It's our choice. So, I'm not gonna fight you. Even if you thought you kissed my girlfriend. I know that you feel something for her, because you actually care and I'm not gonna let Katherine come in here and destroy that part of you that is finally, after all this time, willing to feel something again.”  
   
Okay, so it had been him kissing the girl now, not the other way around. Interesting. It was rather amusing to see Stefan try so desperately not to let his anger and insecurity show. He still believed Damon was in love with Elena and he clearly had no idea what to do about it. His little speech was just further prove of that. Well, Damon wouldn`t make it easier for him. Because, although Stefan was right about one thing and he did feel again, old habits die hard and the older Salvatore just had too much fun torturing his little brother. So he only smirked and murmured: “Whatever you say, Stefan.”, before returning to the house.  
   
***  
   
It was much later when Damon finally returned home. Alaric was playing chauffeur for the Gilberts again and would return to his apartment afterwards, since tomorrow was a school day and life just went on in Mystic Falls. A burned down building and the tragic death of the town´s mayor didn`t change that. So the vampire had resigned himself to spending the night alone. He strolled into the living room and poured himself a drink, stopping dead in his tracks when he spied the woman on the couch. “Very brave of you to come here.” he commented, turning to face her. “I came to say goodbye. I know where I'm not wanted.” Katherine pouted.  
   
Damon simply shrugged and walked away, but she sped in front of him. “What, no goodbye kiss?” she asked, giving him her best, sultry smile. The one that had always made his knees feel weak in the past. It didn`t work on him now. “Why don't I kill you instead?” the Salvatore asked conversationally. “You wouldn`t do that, would you? Come on. Kiss me, Damon. We both know that you want to.” Katherine whispered, inching closer, backing him against the wall. “My sweet, innocent Damon.” she whispered against his lips.  
   
She was so close and he had yearned for this for so long. But those times were over. He had once made a big mistake because of her. Had lost Alaric once because of her. He wouldn`t make the same mistake twice. “Wait, brief pause.” She raised a questioning eyebrow at him. “I have a question. Answer it and maybe I'll forget how much I loved you, how much you hurt me. I just need the truth, just this once.”  
   
Katherine stepped back and held up her hand. “Stop. I already know your question and its answer. The truth is ... I've never loved you. It was always Stefan.” Damon blinked, surprised at her honesty. And she was honest this time. He didn`t doubt that. It hurt. He would be kidding himself if he said it didn`t. After all this time his feelings for her wouldn`t suddenly vanish from one day to the other. But it didn`t hurt nearly as much as it should. He mostly felt angry at himself now, for wasting 145 years pining after a manipulative bitch. For leaving Alaric to chase after her. At least now he was free. Now he could move on.  
   
“So you only played with me? Why? Was it amusing to have us both worship you?” he wanted to know, his anger at her growing. He knew he should just let it go, but his wounded ego wouldn`t let him. Katherine shrugged. “Yes, it was. You know, I love Stefan. I always did. From the very first second. You on the other hand … you were more of a diversion. So sweet and innocent. So willing to do anything for me. I enjoyed it.”   
   
Damon didn`t know what to say. It wasn`t like he hadn`t known. But hearing her admitting it so openly, so nonchalantly… He watched her leave, surprised to find Stefan standing in the doorway. He had been so preoccupied with Katherine that he hadn´t even heard his brother enter. The younger one took a hesitant step forward, his eyes shining with pity. Damon hated that look. Hated seeing it directed at himself. He didn`t want Stefan´s pity. He didn`t need it. “Damon…”   
   
Whatever Stefan was going to say, he didn`t want to hear it. Ignoring his brother, Damon sped out of the house. He didn`t bother with a car. His vampire-speed brought him to his destination way faster than a car ever could.  
   
Alaric opened the door, already dressed for bed, but he didn`t look at all surprised about his nightly visitor. “You`re late.” he remarked softly. Damon just stared at him for a moment, drinking in the sight, feeling his heart skip a beat when Ric smiled at him. He didn`t need Katherine. He had everything he needed right here. Returning the smile he stepped through the door and into the teacher`s waiting arms.


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning Ric made breakfast, while Damon pretended to still be asleep. He was pretty sure Ric knew he was only faking it, but the teacher didn`t say anything when Damon finally joined him at the table. They ate in silence, both enjoying the peace and quiet of the moment, knowing it wouldn´t last long. Afterwards Damon resisted the urge to join Alaric in the shower and instead busied himself with cleaning up.  
   
He didn`t turn around when he heard Ric emerge from the bedroom. “Katherine showed up at the boarding house last night.” he murmured. The teacher didn`t respond. Damon had thought about not telling him. But then he realized that Stefan might mention something and Ric could take it the wrong way and be pissed at him. So it was better to tell him straight away. “She said she never loved me. She always wanted Stefan. I was only a diversion.” No need to mention the fact that he had almost kissed her. After all, nothing had happened. He`d stopped himself in time.  
   
“I figured something like that.” Ric said finally and Damon turned around in surprise, eliciting a chuckle from the teacher. “Hey, I do know you a little by now. I could tell something was off and it didn`t take a genius to figure out it had to do with Katherine. You were too quiet last night. And very cuddly.” he commented. “Cuddly?” Damon asked indignantly. Ric grinned and stepped closer. “Yeah, cuddly. Although I`ve got to admit, I kinda like you that way.” he murmured, pulling Damon closer and dropping a quick kiss on his lips.  
   
“Cuddly. And that from the guy who´s prone to hugging my pillow when I slip out of bed.” the vampire grumbled. Ric laughed, but there was definite blush staining his cheeks, making Damon feel better. The teacher glanced at his watch and sighed. “I´ve got to go. I`ll probably be forced to help set up the carnival.” he mumbled apologetically, shaking his head at the thought. “Obviously the very recent death of the mayor isn`t reason enough to cancel it. This town is addicted to its festivities.”  
   
Damon shrugged. “I think most people aren`t too sad about the death of our mayor. He was a dick.” Alaric went to grab his bag. “He was.” he had to admit. “And he was also something else. But I have no idea what.” Damon went on. Ric paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Because he was affected by the Gilbert device.” The vampire nodded and joined him at the door. “His son was affected as well. And now the uncle showed up… I think we should look into it. If there`s some unknown supernatural element running rampant upon our town, I`d like to know what we`re up against.”  
   
Ric nodded slowly. “I`ll try to keep an eye on Tyler. See what I can find out. Be careful, okay?” Damon grinned and leaned in to kiss him, breaking away only when they needed air. “I will. You be careful, too.” he whispered. “Promise.” Ric whispered back, finally opening the door and leaving. Damon glanced at the clock and chuckled. The teacher would be late again.  
   
***  
   
After Ric had left, Damon busied himself with Jonathan Gilbert´s journal. Ric still had the copies and the vampire was sure he wouldn`t mind him lingering in the apartment a little longer. He had no desire to face his brother yet again. Unfortunately Jonathan had written nothing useful about the Lockwoods, so the vampire finally gave up and paid a visit to Carol Lockwood. She told him she would be acting as interim mayor until the elections and asked for his help with the council. Damon assured her he would do whatever was needed, while eavesdropping on the conversation Tyler was having with his uncle in another part of the house. But he only found out that Tyler had anger management problems and that his uncle seemed very interested in those.  
   
He returned to the boarding house to change clothes and grab a blood bag, running into Stefan on his way out. The younger Salvatore still seemed concerned about him and kept mentioning Katherine. “We have no idea what she's up to.” he stressed. Damon rolled his eyes. “Sure we do. She came back to profess her undying eternal love for you. So I'm gonna let you deal with her, because I have more important things to do.” He turned to leave, but his idiotic brother stopped him.  
   
“What could be more important than finding out what Katherine´s planning?” Stefan wanted to know. “Investigating the Lockwood family secret, for one. The Gilbert device affected them, but vervain didn't, so they're not vampires. They're something else. And I want to know what.” Stefan didn`t seem concerned about the Lockwoods, but he didn`t try to talk Damon out of it either. He seemed wary, afraid to set Damon off. It amused the older one immensely.   
   
He even accompanied Damon to the carnival, where the older Salvatore used the chance to observe Tyler Lockwood. The guy was beating pretty much everyone at arm wrestling. At least until his uncle came along and beat him. Deciding a little experiment was in order, Damon pushed Stefan forward. “Stefan wants to go.” His brother turned to glare at him, but he couldn`t really back down now. The dark haired vampire watched with interest, but Stefan didn`t put in any effort at all and lost deliberately. When Damon grumbled at him however, Stefan surprised him, insisting that he had put effort into it. Damon frowned. “Is he…?”  
   
“No, no, it wasn't that kind of strength. But it was more than human, if that makes any sense.” It didn`t, but lately nothing about the Lockwoods seemed to make much sense. Damon decided to try another experiment and compelled a guy to pick a fight with Tyler, not surprised when the uncle intervened. The moves Mason Lockwood showed at least proved the vampire`s theory that he had to be supernatural. No human could move like that, no matter how hard he trained. Now he only had to find out what the hell that guy was.  
   
Not wanting to listen to Stefan`s yapping about endangering innocent lives any longer, Damon left his brother standing there and went in search of Alaric. He suspected the teacher might be hiding away in his classroom, afraid Carol Lockwood or someone else might get him to help otherwise. On his way there he almost ran into Caroline. Even with his blood healing her, she had gotten out of hospital awfully quickly. But the vampire didn`t think much of it and was about to pass her, making a comment about getting out early, when she stepped into his way and declared that she remembered.  
   
“What do you remember?” Damon frowned. Something about her seemed off, but he couldn`t put his finger on it. “I remember how you manipulated me, how you pushed me around, abused me, erased my memories, fed on me. The memories have been coming back, in pieces.” she stated. Damon was speechless for a moment. Then he shook his head. It was impossible. “You can't remember. It's impossible, I mean unless you're becoming a...” the vampire trailed of. No, it couldn`t be. Could it? He watched with unease as a slow smile spread over Caroline`s face. “I have a message from Katherine. She said ‘Game on’.”  
   
Before he had time to react, she pushed him and sent him sprawling onto the floor. Damon could only watch as she sped off. “Oh you´ve got to be kidding me.” This couldn`t be happening. Groaning in frustration he got to his feet, just in time to see Alaric round the corner. The teacher stopped in surprise and then hurried over. “Damon? What happened?” There was no mistaking the worried tone. Damon sighed. “We`ve got another problem. We need to find Stefan and Elena.”  
   
“Okay. Why don`t you just text them and ask them to meet us in my classroom? And while we wait you can tell me what happened.” Ric offered. Hesitating a moment, Damon nodded and quickly sent a text to his brother, knowing he would bring Elena along. He followed Ric into the empty classroom and sat down. The teacher gave him a questioning look, clearly waiting for an explanation. “You remember that I gave Caroline my blood?” Ric nodded and motioned for him to continue. “Well, it looks like Katherine killed her. With my blood still in her system. So…”  
   
“She`s turning into a vampire?” Ric asked, clearly shocked at the news. “No, she`s not turning into a vampire, she already is one.” Damon answered. She had been too strong and too fast to still be in transition. He couldn`t help but wonder if she had killed someone. She must have. It was the only way she could have turned already. Probably a nurse or something, which meant he probably had to pay a visit to the hospital later and clean up her mess.  
   
Both men looked up when the door opened to reveal Stefan and Elena. “Okay, what`s so important that we had to come here immediately.” the younger Salvatore wanted to know. “Katherine turned Caroline into a vampire.” No need to beat around the bush. They didn`t have time for that. Elena gasped in shock. “She did what? But … why?” Damon shrugged. “Because Katherine is a manipulative nasty little slut. And she wants to send a message. She had Blondie tell me ‘Game on’.”  
   
“But why Caroline? She's doing this to me, isn't she?” Elena sounded close to tears. “No, she's doing it to me.” Stefan whispered. “Caroline must be completely out of her mind. She doesn't even know what's happening to her.” he muttered. Damon snorted. “Oh I think she does. All of my compulsion from the past started wearing off the minute she was in transition.” Which meant he was in deep shit if the girl ran into her mother and started talking. “We have to find her.” Stefan stated and for once Damon agreed with him. “Yep and kill her.”  
   
“You're not gonna kill Caroline.” Elena jumped up, her voice taking on a shrill edge. The dark haired vampire got up as well. “She knows who we are. What we are. She's officially a liability, and we've got to get rid of her. Caroline, of all people, will not make it as a vampire. Her mother is a vampire hunter. Guys come on, we all know how this story's gonna end. Just flip to the last chapter and...”  
   
“Elena is right. You can´t just kill her, Damon.” Alaric stepped in. He looked at the dark haired vampire pleadingly. Damon stifled a curse. He hated that look. It always made him want to give in to the teacher. Why couldn`t they understand that he had to do this? “I have to, Ric. It's the only way.” he replied quietly, speeding out of the room, before the teacher had the chance to utter another word. He knew that Ric would be mad at him if he went through with this, but he really had no choice here.  
   
He pushed his way through the mass of people, looking around for the blonde, but seeing her nowhere. Where could she be? Then he thought of his own transition, how he had felt right after turning. Everything had been intensified, all the sounds and smells, as well as his own feelings. It took some time getting used to. She wouldn`t be in the crowd, he realized. She`d try to find a secluded spot. So he had to search the empty parts of the school. Like the parking lot.  
   
Picking up a stake, obviously left over from setting up the tents, he headed for the parking lot and sure enough there she was. He could hear her crying from afar. She was sitting on the ramp of a truck, next to the guy he had compelled earlier to pick a fight with Tyler Lockwood. There was blood all over her face. “He's dead. I killed him. Oh god! What's wrong with me?” she sobbed and Damon actually felt bad for her, remembering what it had felt like for him at first. He had killed many people over the years, but he`d never forgotten the first time.  
   
“Hey, it's okay. I can help you.” he murmured, stepping closer. She looked so hopeful that it tore at his heart. “You can? What are you gonna do?” she whispered. “The only thing I can do. I'm gonna kill you.” Damon answered honestly, watching the fear spread over her face. She didn`t even try to run, simply shook her head. “Please don't! I don't want to die! Just help me! Please, you`ve got to help me!” she was begging, fresh tears streaming down her face. Damon pulled her closer. “Okay, shh.” She sobbed against his chest, pleading for his help. It made his insides turn, but he held her in place with one hand while he raised the stake with the other.  
   
And then he looked over her shoulder and saw Alaric. The teacher wasn`t doing anything. He was just standing there, looking at Damon pleadingly. The vampire stared back at him for what felt like hours, waging an internal battle with himself. Ric would hate him if he killed the girl. Probably forever. But not killing her would endanger his own life.   
   
Caroline was oblivious to all that. She was clinging to him like a lifeline, soaking his shirt with her tears. Heaving a resigned sigh, Damon threw the stake away and wrapped both arms around the girl. Ric breathed a sigh of relief and came closer. The dark haired vampire scowled at him. “I`m going to regret this.” he muttered. “Maybe you won`t.” Ric murmured back.  
   
Just then Elena and Stefan arrived on the scene. Elena immediately rushed over and tried to pry Caroline away from Damon, but the blonde got hysteric and pushed her off. “No! Get away from me! You killed me!” Elena stumbled a step back. “No, no, no Caroline! That wasn't me. You know that! That was Katherine. I would never hurt you.” Caroline hid behind Damon, clinging to him once more. “But why did she look like you?! And why did she do this to me?”   
   
The dark haired vampire sighed and grabbed her arms, holding her still. “Hey, look at me. Elena didn`t kill you. Katherine did. It`s a long story and we don`t have time for this now. So calm down.” His voice was quiet, intense. Almost as if he was trying to use compulsion. The blonde nodded and took a deep breath, calming at least a little. Rolling his eyes, Damon shoved her towards his brother. “Get her away from here. And wash the blood off her. You wanted to keep her alive, you take care of her.” he instructed, before pointing to the dead guy. “I`ll clean up this mess.”   
   
Stefan nodded and gently guided Caroline away, murmuring soothing words. Elena gave Damon a grateful smile. “Thank you.” The older Salvatore just waved dismissively, so she turned away and followed Stefan. Damon turned to the dead guy, surprised when Ric addressed him. “Can you get him to my car? I`ll see if I can find us some shovels.” The vampire raised a questioning eyebrow. “Us?” Alaric`s answering smile made his stomach flutter. “Yeah, us. I`ll help you.” For a moment Damon was rendered speechless. Then he smirked. “All right. Meet you at the car.”  
   
He watched the teacher walk off towards the school building and then turned to grab the corpse. Slinging the guy over his shoulder he rushed to the car. Ric met him only minutes later, carrying two shovels. They put the corpse into the trunk and Ric drove off. “Where to?” Damon gave him directions to a spot in the forest he knew, far off and away from prying eyes. With a little luck no-one would find the guy there.  
   
The drive passed in silence. They reached the spot quickly and got out of the car. “Over there.” Damon decided, pointing to a mossy spot between two old oak trees. Rather poetic, at least in Damon´s opinion. Ric nodded and handed him a shovel. Neither spoke while they dug out the grave and buried the guy. The silence was grating on the vampire`s nerves, yet he didn`t know what to say. It was strange and quite annoying that words failed him so often when he was around Alaric.  
   
“I knew you wouldn´t kill her.” the teacher spoke up after they had gotten into the car again, startling Damon out of his reverie. Damon glanced over at him. “I should have.” He still wasn`t sure if it had been a good idea not to do it. She could get them all killed. But with Ric looking at him like that… “No, you shouldn`t and you know it. You did the right thing.” Ric protested. “Her mother is the sheriff. It´s only a matter of time until she finds out. And then?”  
   
“Even if she does find out. She wouldn´t kill her own daughter.” the teacher spoke with total conviction. Damon however wasn`t so sure. These people were taught to hate vampires. Had hunted them for over a century. He and Stefan had been shot by their own father for helping a vampire. Maybe Liz wouldn`t kill her own daughter, but maybe she would. He was pretty sure she would kill him, if she knew what he was. Even if he liked to think otherwise.  
   
“You would have felt guilty for killing Caroline. Just like you do with Lexi.” Alaric claimed. Damn, he should stop telling him so much. Why did he have to bring up Lexi now? “That was completely different.” the vampire muttered. “Was it? Lexi reminded you of your dark times. Of the bad things you`ve done. Now that Caroline is a vampire, your compulsion wore off. She remembers everything you did to her. How you abused her. And she makes you remember it, too.”  
   
Damon looked at the teacher in surprise. He hadn`t told Ric about the things he`d done to Caroline. The teacher hadn`t even been in Mystic Falls when he used the blonde as his fake girlfriend. How could he know? Ric glanced at him for a second and seemed to guess his thoughts. “Elena told me. Just after we started becoming friends again. I think she wanted me to know about the evil things you`ve done. She told me not to trust you.” he let the vampire know. Typical. That girl just had to stick her nose into everything.  
   
“You can`t undo the bad things you`ve done, Damon…” Ric started, but Damon cut him off. “I know that, Ric. And believe me, you don´t even know one percent of the bad things I`ve done in my life.” he spat, getting defensive. Ric saw too much. Understood him too well. And it scared the vampire. Ric looked past his stony mask and had no problem calling him on his bullshit. The fact that Ric didn`t even flinch at his venomous tone was further prove of that. “But you can try to make up for it.” the teacher continued unerringly.   
   
“What, by keeping Blondie alive? You`ve got to be kidding me.” Damon muttered darkly. Ric chuckled. “Why not? It was your blood that turned her. Doesn`t that make you her sire or something?” he asked. “You read too many crappy vampire books, Ric.” Katherine was the one who killed Caroline. So she was responsible for the whole disaster. Not him. He refused to take the blame. And since Stefan was the one who had insisted on keeping the blonde alive, he could also take care of her.  
   
When he told Ric just that, the teacher only smiled. “Want me to drop you off at the boarding house? Or will you spend the night with me?” he asked, changing the subject. The tone of his voice told Damon that spending the night with Ric wouldn`t only mean sleeping tonight, which made the decision an easy one.   
 


	23. Chapter 23

When they were sitting at the breakfast table the next morning, Ric suddenly said: “I thought some more about the mystery of the Lockwood family. You know, Isobel spent years researching this town. Of course her research rooted in folklores and legends. But she was certainly right about the vampires.” He actually wondered why he hadn`t thought of it sooner. Damon grinned. “Certainly. Well, aside from vampires, what else?”  
   
“The lycanthrope.” Damon`s eyebrows shot up. “Werewolves? No way. Impossible. Way too Lon Chaney.” For a supernatural creature the vampire sure had a hard time believing in other supernatural creatures. Alaric found that he had become a lot more open minded concerning these things over the last few years. “Is it?” he asked. “Ric, I’ve been on this planet one hundred and sixty some odd years and never came across one. If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?” Damon shot back.   
   
Ric shrugged. “I don`t know. Hiding, maybe? I`m not even saying the Lockwoods are werewolves. I`m just saying they could be.” The vampire looked thoughtful. “And you think Isobel’s research could help us figure it out?” he asked after a while. “It´s worth a try, don`t you think?” They had nothing to lose here. And even if it turned out to be a waste of time, at least he would be wasting his time with Damon. “Can we get access to it?” Damon asked.  
   
“Well, all her things are still at Duke. I mean her office is still there. She’s technically still missing. So it shouldn`t really be a problem.” The teacher hadn`t been there for years and he wasn`t sure how he felt about going back there. But maybe it would provide some sort of closure. Although plunging a stake through Isobel`s stomach should have been closure enough.   
   
“You know what that means, right?” Damon asked with a sly smile. Ric gave him a puzzled look. “What it means?” He had no idea what the vampire was hinting at. “Road trip.” Damon explained, his smile widening. Ric couldn`t help but smile back. “Road trip. Sounds like a plan.”  
   
They agreed to meet at the boarding house two hours later and start from there. This would give both of them enough time to pack a few things. Damon also needed to tell his brother about their plan and Ric decided he would call first, to make sure they would get into Isobel`s office. He spoke to a woman named Vanessa Monroe. The teacher explained that he was Isobel`s husband and that he had decided to finally pick up her things. Vanessa told him it wouldn`t be a problem and to just ask for her once he was there.  
   
He had just hung up when Damon called. “Elena wants to tag along.” the vampire grumbled. “She thinks she might find out something about Katherine and her lineage.” Ric could hear Elena talking in the background and stifled a sigh. He knew all too well how stubborn this girl could be. She wouldn`t stop giving them grief until they agreed to take her with them. “Well, if she insists.” he mumbled, not even trying to hide his disappointment. He had been looking forward to a road trip with Damon. Taking the girl with them wasn`t planned. “All right. Pick us up at the Gilberts then.” Damon answered, the resignation in his voice clear.  
   
Ric hung up and  turned back to his bag. He wasn´t sure if they were going to stay overnight, so he had decided to pack a small bag, just in case. About 40 minutes later he finally left the apartment and drove to the Gilbert house. Jenna opened the door and told him that Elena would be down soon. “I want you to know that this means a lot to Elena. I appreciate you taking her along today.” she said. Ric shrugged. “I`m not sure what she expects to find, but if it helps.” Jenna nodded and looked at him closely. “I hope she won´t be ruining your plans. If you would rather be alone with Damon…”  
   
“I would prefer being alone with Damon.” Ric admitted, glad that he didn`t have to hide from her. “But Elena will be pissed if we don`t take her with us. And I guess after everything that´s happened she can use the time-out.” He could understand her need to get away from Mystic Falls for a while. Even if it was only for a day. “Yes, the whole Katherine-thing was pretty tough on her. Then she found out that John of all people is her father. And now Caroline´s a vampire…” Jenna´s voice trailed off.  
   
“She tells you everything now, doesn`t she?” Ric asked, a little surprised at how much she knew. “No more secrets. That`s what we promised each other after the latest disaster. Not only Elena and I, but Jeremy as well. Did you know that he read Elena`s journal? He had no problem invading her privacy, since she had asked Damon to compel him. I think we all lied to each other for a long time and it brought us nowhere. Now we`ll try honesty. Hopefully that works better.” Jenna explained. “But don´t worry. I can keep a secret. I won`t say anything about your.. friendship with Damon.” she promised and Ric gave her a grateful smile.  
   
“Thank you, Jenna. I`m glad to have someone I can talk to.” And he was. Jenna had been a big help for him over the past few weeks and she was still the only one who knew what was really going on between him and the older Salvatore. Alaric wasn`t sure if he wanted that to change in the near future. Despite the fact that he trusted Damon, he was still a little insecure. “How are things going with Anna?” he asked, changing the subject. Jenna`s smile told him she knew exactly what he was doing, but she let it slide.  
   
“Okay, I guess. I think she still has a hard time coping, but she agreed to stay and give it a try. Jeremy barely lets her out of his sight. He´s fallen head over heels.” Jenna grinned, obviously happy for her nephew. “And you have no problem letting a vampire move in with you?” Ric wanted to know. She shrugged it off. “Not really, no. We got her a mini-fridge, so she can store some blood bags here. I don´t want those in my fridge. But apart from that… I see no problems. Stefan spent a lot of nights here and I never had a problem with that. Truth is, I feel sorry for the girl. She`s been through a lot.” Her smile turned sad. “We`ve all been through a lot.” Ric murmured. Both jumped when a car horn honked outside. Ric rolled his eyes, even as a grin tugged at his lips. “Damon.”   
   
Jenna called for Elena, who came rushing downstairs about a minute later, followed by Stefan. “Are you coming with us as well?” Ric asked, not sure if he`d be happy or sad about that prospect. He had no desire to turn this into some sort of field trip, but at least Stefan would keep Elena busy and he`d have more time with Damon. But the younger Salvatore shook his head. “No, I`ll stay here. I`m teaching Caroline to hunt. Elena managed to convince Bonnie to make a daylight ring for her.” He didn`t look all too happy, probably felt insecure about letting his girlfriend go on a trip with Damon.  
   
Elena seemed to sense this too, because she turned to him and asked if it was really okay that she was going. “Please be honest. Because if it’s not then I can just stay here and we can take care of Caroline together.” she offered. Stefan smiled and assured her it was okay. Just then the car horn honked again. Ric chuckled. “I guess we should get going. Sounds like Damon`s getting impatient.”   
   
He stepped outside and sure enough there was Damon, leaning against the side of Ric`s car, a frown on his face. The teacher went over to him, while Stefan and Elena said their goodbyes. “What took you so long?” the older Salvatore grumbled. The teacher shrugged. “Tearful goodbye. You`d think we`d be going on a weeklong journey.” he replied sarcastically. Damon snorted and called to the girl: “Come on, Elena. We haven`t got all day.” She finally managed to tear herself away from her boyfriend and got into the backseat. Ric and Damon got in as well and they drove off.   
   
***  
   
It took Elena and Damon about five minutes to get into the first argument. The vampire changed the radio station and the girl started complaining loudly, stating that she liked the song they had just been playing. Damon shot back that the song was crap and they bickered back and forth, until Alaric rolled his eyes and popped in a CD.  
   
About 30 minutes into the trip Damon started complaining that he was bored. Another ten minutes later Elena asked Ric to stop at the next gas station, since she had to use the bathroom. The teacher was starting to feel like he was in the middle of two twelve-year olds and wondered what he had gotten himself into.  
   
“This is no fun.” Damon muttered, while they were waiting for Elena to return. “Yeah.” Alaric agreed absently, looking over the map to decide the best route. “It would be a lot more fun without her.” the vampire continued. “I didn`t invite her.” Ric reminded him without looking up. “I didn`t either. She invited herself. Probably did it on purpose, to spoil our fun.” Finally Ric took his eyes off the map and regarded the dark haired vampire with amusement. “You´re cute when you`re pouting.”  
   
The indignant look on Damon´s face was funny to watch. “I do not pout!” he insisted, crossing his arms and pouting even worse. He looked so much younger like this, the teacher mused. “Of course you don`t. Evil vampires don`t pout.” Chuckling he looked at the map again, but it was suddenly snatched away from him. “You drive, I read the map. Worked before, didn`t it?” Damon cut off his protest. Ric had to admit that he was right. “Okay.” He looked out the window, wondering what was taking Elena so long.  
   
“We could just take off and leave her. She`s got her cell phone with her and we`re not far from Mystic Falls. Someone could pick her up.” Damon suggested. The teacher glanced at over at him, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “She´d never forgive us.” Although the idea was very tempting. “She would. Eventually. And we`d have lots of fun without her.” the vampire argued, turning in his seat to face Ric. “Ever gotten a blowjob while driving?”  
   
“Only that one time.” Ric admitted, blushing slightly when he remembered their drive home from the spontaneous weekend trip they had taken while Isobel was off doing research. It had been dark outside, but still Ric had been scared shitless of getting caught. And it had taken all his concentration to keep the car on the road. Damon had a very talented mouth after all.  
   
The return of Elena shook him out of his dirty thoughts. “I bought some snacks.” she announced cheerily, dumping packages and bottles onto the seat beside her. Great, by the time they made it home he´d have crumps all over his car. Then Ric remembered that it wouldn`t really matter, since he also had to clean his trunk after last night´s adventure. He hoped no police officer would ever want to look in there, because he´d really have a hard time explaining the various weapons, the dirty shovels and the smears of blood. They`d probably throw him in jail without even waiting for an explanation.  
   
They finally hit the road again, with Elena munching cookies and texting on her cell phone in the back seat, probably conversing with Stefan, and Damon rustling with the map and giving Ric directions. Elena let them know that Bonnie had kept her promise and made a daylight ring for Caroline and that Stefan was taking the blonde out to hunt now, proving the teacher´s theory that she was indeed texting her boyfriend. Damon made a comment about poor little forest creatures, but the brunette ignored him. “How is she holding up?” Ric asked, glancing back at the girl.  
   
“It´s hard for her, but Caroline`s tougher than one might think. And Stefan`s helping her.” Elena replied, confident in her boyfriend`s abilities. Damon looked over at Ric and rolled his eyes, but the teacher shushed him. He really hoped Caroline would make it through this. He hadn`t had much dealings with her yet, aside from school, but she seemed like a sweet and kind-hearted girl.  
   
Ric was a little surprised when Damon actually kept his mouth shut and instead reached back to steal some cookies from Elena, who squealed in protest. “If you bring food, you gotta share it. It´s a road trip rule.” the vampire lectured, grinning back at her. “You could have asked.” Elena grumbled. Damon simply shrugged and bit into a cookie, before feeding another one to Ric, despite the teacher`s protest that he didn`t want any. Once again Ric wondered what he`d gotten himself into. And not for the last time that day.  
   
***  
   
He breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached their destination. Walking across the campus brought back a lot of memories. They passed the spot where Alaric had met Isobel for the first time, saving her from some guy she had gotten into a fight with. He also remembered picking her up after work, back when they´d just gotten married or meeting her for lunch break in the cafeteria. But mostly it brought back memories of the time he´d spent here with Damon. Glancing at the vampire, Ric realized that he wasn`t the only one remembering.  
   
“Isobel was officially employed by the anthropology department, given that most paranormal phenomenon is rooted in folklore.” the teacher explained as they reached the building. They entered an office and Ric approached the young woman working there. “Excuse me, hi. I’m Alaric Saltzman, I called earlier.” The dark haired woman nodded with a smile. “Yes, of course. I’m Vanessa Monroe, research assistant comparative folklore. We talked.” She looked at Elena and Damon with a frown, while she grabbed the keys.   
   
“These are my friends Elena and Damon. I hope this isn’t too much of an imposition.” Alaric mumbled. Maybe he should`ve told her he would be bringing someone with him. She had obviously expected him to come alone, judging by the strange look she was giving the other two. “No, not at all. Isobel’s office is right through there. Follow me.” Vanessa said, leading the way. She kept chattering about Isobel and her research and Alaric got the impression that she was nervous.   
   
Finally she opened a door and waved them inside. “This is Isobel´s office. I’ll grab the light, feel free to look around. It’s fascinating isn’t it?” she disappeared with a nervous laugh. Ric had a strange feeling, but he shook it off and started to look around. The other two did the same. He couldn`t even remember the last time he had been here, but as far as he could tell it looked just the same.   
   
“Where did she go?” Damon asked suddenly, making the teacher realize that Vanessa had been gone for quite some time. He frowned, wondering if he should go looking for her, when she suddenly appeared in the doorway, crossbow in hand. Before he had time to react she shot an arrow at Elena, but Damon sped in front of her and the arrow pierced his back. Ric grabbed Vanessa, pushed her against the wall and wrestled the crossbow from her.   
   
“What the hell do you think you`re doing?” he shouted, warring between shock and fury. A glance over his shoulder told him that Damon wasn`t badly hurt. But seriously pissed off. Well, he wasn`t the only one. Vanessa was struggling against his grip. “Please! I`m sorry. I freaked out, okay? It’s not possible! Katherine Pierce can’t be alive and Damon Salvatore died in 1864. Okay, I read Isobel’s research.” she admitted and the teacher groaned in frustration. “Well, then you should know just how possible this is.”  
   
He let go of her when Elena and Damon joined them, after the brunette had pulled the arrow out of Damon`s back. Elena introduced herself as Isobel`s daughter and descendant of Katherine, while the vampire glared at Vanessa. Ric wondered what Elena had said to keep him from killing her. “I'd be extra nice to me right now.” the vampire warned. Vanessa nodded and apologized profusely, promising to help them with everything they needed. “We`ll need everything you have on Mystic Falls and Katherine Pierce.” Ric told her. She quickly went to fetch a box and handed it to Elena.  
   
“This box checks Katherine’s arrival to Mystic Falls in April 1864. Far as I know, that´s all there is about her.” Elena started going through the box, while Damon and Ric looked through the bookshelves in the other room. The vampire kept taunting Vanessa, who was quietly talking to Elena. Too quiet for Ric to hear what was being said, but Damon seemed to have a blast.  
   
“There’s nothing in here about Katherine that we don’t already know.” Elena called out after a while, the disappointment in her voice clear. Vanessa joined the two men and handed a book to Alaric. “There’s no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls, but here are some records of some of the lesser known legends.” Pointing to the drawings in the book she started to explain, that it all came down to some old Aztec curse, called the ‘curse of the sun and the moon’. According to legend the Aztecs were plagued by werewolves and vampires, until an Aztec shaman cursed them, making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon. As a result, vampires could only prowl at night and werewolves could only turn on a full moon.   
   
It sounded like a myth, but Alaric had experienced enough strange things to start believing in myth. “Werewolves will attack humans, but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice: vampires.” she continued. Damon snorted. “Well, if werewolves were hunting vampires, I would know about it.” He sounded pretty sure of that, but Vanessa let them know that there weren`t many werewolves left alive, because vampires had hunted them almost to extinction.  
   
“Why would they do that?” Elena asked, looking over the pictures. Vanessa´s answer made Ric´s blood run cold. “To protect themselves. Legend has it that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires.” The teacher looked over at Damon and swallowed hard. If the Lockwoods really were werewolves, that would mean yet another danger to the vampire`s life. Like there weren`t enough of those already.  
   
Elena gasped in shock. “We have a full moon tonight. I need to warn Stefan.” She pulled out her cell phone and quickly relayed the news to the younger Salvatore, asking him to be careful. After a few minutes she hung up and turned back to the box. Ric and Damon looked over the rest of Isobel`s research, but there was nothing to be found they didn`t already know. The teacher had a feeling it was time to go home. Maybe they`d even make it before midnight.  
   
He mentioned this to the others and they agreed. Alaric hung back while Damon and Elena walked to the car. “I trust you’re not gonna say anything about this to anyone.” he made sure. “Or else Damon will kill me in my sleep? Don`t worry. Who would believe me anyways? But if you need anything, you can call. Anytime.” Vanessa replied with a smile. She wasn`t actually flirting with him now, was she? Ric frowned and told her not to get involved in this. “Really, it’ll take over and will keep you from being able to live your life.” He knew what he was talking about.  
   
Vanessa wanted to know if Isobel’s disappearance was related to her research and Ric snorted. “Isobel became her research. She wanted to become a vampire and she got her wish.” He sighed and looked around. It was really okay to come back here. It felt good to have Isobel in his past. He felt like he was finally over her. He was ready to move on.  
   
“Thanks for your help, Vanessa. Goodbye.” She told him again he could call if he needed something, but Ric chose to ignore the comment and joined Damon and Elena in the car. “She was hitting on you.” the vampire commented. Alaric shrugged. “Yeah well, I`m not interested.” He looked at the vampire, only now noticing the old book in Damon´s lap. “What´s that?” He hadn`t even noticed Damon taking something from the office. The vampire shrugged. “Just a little present.”   
   
He threw the book to Elena, who managed to catch it mere seconds before it hit her in the face. “Hey!” she protested. “You didn’t dig deep enough.” Damon let her know, ignoring her squeal. Scowling Elena read the title. “’Petrova’. I saw this on a shelf. Why are you giving this to me?” she asked, clearly puzzled. “Katherine originally came from Europe. Petrova was her real name. Katerina Petrova, to be exact. I once saw it engraved on an old heirloom. Men snoop too, you know.”   
   
This surprised Alaric. Not that Damon had snooped in Katherine´s stuff, of course. He was pretty sure that by now the vampire had gone through his whole apartment while he wasn`t there. But the titbit about Katherine was unexpected. The teacher started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, while Elena opened the book and started flipping through the pages. After only a few minutes she was completely engrossed in the book and ignored the two men completely. Ric wasn`t about to complain. He and Damon used the chance to discuss what they had discovered. The vampire still wasn`t convinced of the whole werewolf-thing, while Ric had to admit that the thought scared him a little.  
   
“You`re badass vampire hunter. Why would you be scared of a few puppies?” Damon asked. “Because those puppies could kill you with a bite and I`ve lately developed the annoying habit to save your ass.” Ric shot back. “That was only twice. Stop exaggerating.” the vampire grumbled. “Two near death experiences are more than enough for my liking.” The thought of losing Damon was unbearable. “Aww, it`s so sweet of you to be concerned for my well-being.” Damon joked. His tone was light, but the look in his eyes told Ric that he was a lot more serious about this than he let on.  
   
“Well, it would be hard to find a new drinking buddy. Especially one who usually pays for the drinks.” the teacher muttered, smiling softly at Damon to show him that he was only kidding. The vampire chuckled and hit him lightly on the arm, calling him a dick. “Takes one to know one.” Ric shot back with a grin.   
   
After about an hour of driving they stopped at a diner to eat, before continuing towards Mystic Falls. It was already getting dark outside. Elena looked through the book some more and finally fell asleep in the back seat, the book still cradled in her lap. Damon was very quiet as well and Ric wondered if he had fallen asleep too, when suddenly a hand landed on his thigh, just above the knee. “Damon, stop that.” he scolded. “Why? She`s asleep. She won`t notice anything.”   
   
Ric glanced back at the sleeping girl. “She could wake up any minute.” he warned, shuddering when Damon`s hand slid higher. “Come on, Ric. Where´s your sense of adventure?” Damon whispered, his voice taking on a seductive edge. Ric´s body was responding all too readily. He grabbed the vampire`s hand and moved it away. “I said no. Keep your hands to yourself.” he ordered. “Oh, so you`d rather watch me pleasuring myself, yeah?” Damon asked, moving his hand to his own crotch.  
   
Ric stifled a curse. “I didn`t say that. Now stop it. I don´t wanna have to explain to Jenna why her niece woke up to see you jerking off in the passenger seat.” he hissed. Damon laughed at him. “Would be sight she´s not likely to forget.” the vampire bragged. “Damon.” There was a definite warning in the teacher´s tone. He wasn`t kidding about this. Even Damon seemed to realize that, because he slumped back in his seat and muttered: “You`re absolutely no fun, Ric.”  
   
“Because I`m not an exhibitionist like you?” the teacher couldn`t help asking. He knew he should just let it go, instead of goading the vampire, but he just couldn`t. If it weren`t for Elena in the backseat he wouldn`t have such qualms. If she wasn`t there he`d probably already have Damon`s head in his lap. Or he would just pull over and take the vampire in the backseat. The thought alone made his jeans tighten uncomfortably. “Next time we plan a road trip, we just leave without telling anyone.” he decided. “Sounds like a plan.” Damon agreed, switching radio stations again.  
   
***  
   
A few hours later Damon entered the boarding house and shrugged out of his jacket with a sigh, somehow glad to be home. He wouldn`t have minded staying somewhere overnight, if it had just been him and Ric. But Elena`s company proved to be a big turn-off. Especially since Ric was way too cautious around the girl. He had even insisted on dropping Damon off first, before driving Elena home. Damon had in turn decided to spend the night alone.  
   
The vampire strolled to the living room to fetch himself a drink, but stopped mid-stride and stared at the couch. Great, just what he needed right now. “What are you doing here?” he asked, not even trying to hide his annoyance. Caroline flinched at his icy tone. “Stefan made me kill a bunny.” she murmured, her voice quivering. “And then I hurt Matt. I didn`t mean to. I … I just couldn`t stop myself. If Stefan hadn`t come… Oh god, I`m a monster.” she started crying and Damon stifled a curse. Why the hell did she come to him?  
   
Realizing that she wasn`t going to stop anytime soon, he sat down next to her and pulled her against his chest. If they kept going like this he´d have to start sending his cleaning bills to the Forbes. First the sheriff soaked his shirt back in the hospital and now Caroline was making a habit of it as well. Not that she could do much damage tonight. His shirt was already torn and stained with his own blood, thanks to the arrow he had taken for Elena. All this being nice sure was bad for his wardrobe.  
   
After a while Caroline pulled away and wiped at her eyes, looking sheepish. “I`m sorry.” she mumbled. “You weren`t sobbing because you killed a bunny?” Damon wanted to know. The blonde shrugged. “I don`t know. That was horrible. It was so cute… and then it only got worse. I bit Matt and then Stefan pulled me off and he told me to run and then there was this.. wolf and…” she stammered. “Wait, there was a wolf?” the older Salvatore interrupted her. “It tried to bite me, but Tyler scared it off.”  
   
Damon cursed loudly, making her flinch again. So the legend was true. There really was at least one werewolf running around in Mystic Falls. Since Tyler obviously hadn`t changed into a wolf, Damon suspected the uncle. Yet one more thing he`d have to take care of. But first he had to get rid of the sobbing blonde, who was now staring at him with wide, tearful eyes.   
   
“Wait here.” Without giving her the chance to reply he rushed down to the basement, returning seconds later with a blood bag. He threw it to Caroline, who caught it and looked at him questioningly. “You want the truth? The bunny diet doesn`t work. It doesn`t work for Stefan and it won`t work for you. Sooner or later you`ll want a taste of the real stuff. It´s in our nature to want it. We`re predators, Caroline. And humans are our prey. One day you`ll give in. And then you won`t be able to stop. Ask Stefan if you don`t believe me. One drop of human blood and he snaps. He can`t control it.”  
   
She blinked at him and sniffled. “I don`t want to kill someone. Not even a bunny.” Damon rolled his eyes. “I fed from you for weeks. I didn`t kill you. Because I can control it.” She bit her lip, maybe thinking about his words or maybe remembering all the horrible things he`d done to her. Damon didn`t know. Didn`t want to know. He didn`t do comforting. But he could do brutal honesty. Which might work even better.  
   
“I can supply you with blood bags if you want.” he offered, surprising himself just as much as Caroline. “But there won`t always be blood bags available. You´ll have to learn how to feed from humans, how to control it.” The blonde hesitated, looked at the blood bag again. Finally she met his eyes. “Can you show me?” She sounded way too hopeful. What the hell had he gotten himself into? But he knew Ric would want him to do that, to take care of the girl. And for Ric he´d do pretty much anything, pathetic as it was.  
   
“Yeah, I can show you.” Caroline nodded and wiped her eyes. He could see something like determination in them. Maybe she would make it after all. “Okay.” She finally opened the blood bag and drained it, letting out a little moan of delight. When she was finished she looked at the older Salvatore sheepishly. “It tastes better. Is that why you stick to human blood?” she wanted to know and Damon couldn`t help but chuckle. “One of the reasons, yeah. The animal stuff is disgusting. And it keeps you weak. Stefan could never hold his own in a fight against me. We`re not designed to feed from animals.”  
   
Caroline nodded. “Stefan won`t like this.” she muttered. The male vampire shrugged. “I don`t care. If we`re going to keep you, someone has to teach you how to feed. And it won`t be Stefan. He can teach you the other stuff, all that emotional shit. He´s better at that.” The girl looked thoughtful, hesitant. “Why did you do it?” she whispered eventually.  
   
Damon didn`t have to ask what she meant. Somehow he`d been waiting for this question ever since she told him she remembered. “Back then, I had flipped the switch. My emotions were off. And I`m kind of a dick when my emotions are off.” he explained with a shrug. Caroline frowned. “You`re always a dick.” Damon grinned. “Maybe. But with my emotions off, I`m even worse.” He was surprised when she actually giggled at that. She sobered quickly however. “They`re not off now, are they?”  
   
“No, they`re not. Life´s not really easier when you switch it off. You just don`t care anymore.” He had no idea where all this honesty was coming from. Alaric must be rubbing off on him. “I broke up with Matt. So I wouldn`t be able to hurt him again.” Caroline let him know, smiling sadly. Damon was impressed. It was something he could never do, leaving the one he loved. He was too selfish for that. “Guess you`re not a monster after all.” he murmured. Caroline smiled. “Guess you`re not always a dick.” she murmured back.  
   
After a few more minutes she got up and grabbed her purse. “Thank you. For the blood bag and not killing me and… everything I guess. I`ll call you about the …uh…” she trailed off. “Training?” Damon offered. “Yeah, do that. Don`t kill anyone. And be careful around your mother. She´s a vampire hunter.” he warned. The blonde nodded. “I know. Stefan told me. So… Goodnight, Damon.”  
   
He watched her go, shaking his head at the absurdity of the whole conversation. Alaric would be thrilled if he told him he would be teaching vampire Barbie. And Stefan would be pissed that he`d get her hooked on the human stuff. So at least he´d get something out of this as well. And he had to admit that she wasn`t as bad as he`d always thought. He hadn`t even given her a chance back then, he realized. She had definitely surprised him tonight. Maybe she`d surprise him again. He decided to forget about the drink for now and went to bed instead.


	24. Chapter 24

Alaric had just finished writing his lesson plans for the next day, when there was a knock at the door. He got up quickly and went to open it, already knowing who it would be. “Jenna, please come in.” The blonde entered and strolled over to the couch. “So I guess your invitation has something to do with your trip to the Duke, right?” she asked. Ric nodded and took a seat next to her. “Yes, it has. How much did Elena tell you?” he wanted to know. “She told me about the werewolves and that you suspect the Lockwoods. And about that book she`s currently obsessed with.” Jenna rolled her eyes at her nieces behaviour.  
   
“Well, the book is Elena´s problem. I`m more worried about the wolves.” Ric admitted. “Because it is said they can kill a vampire with a bite.” Jenna suspected. He nodded, not even trying to hide his unease. “Damon called earlier. Obviously Stefan and Caroline were attacked by a werewolf last night. Luckily Tyler scared it off before it could bite them.” Something that still had Ric confused. Tyler hadn`t changed into a wolf. He had no idea what that meant.  
   
“So you think the wolf was Mason?” Jenna`s voice cut through his musings. “It`s at least highly possible. We need to find out more.” the teacher let her know. “Okay. I get that. But where do I fit in?” she wanted to know. Ric bit his lip. “Well, we figured you know Mason. You went to high school together, right?” When she nodded he continued. “We thought you could maybe … invite him, or something like that. And then Damon and I could try to find out more. Don`t ask me how. It was Damon`s idea.” he grimaced, knowing how stupid that must sound.  
   
Jenna looked sceptical, but before she could say something, there was a knock at the door again. Damon this time. It was strange how Ric could tell that just by hearing him knock. “Ah, you`re already there.” the vampire commented when he spied Jenna. “I just told her about your brilliant plan.” Alaric let him know. “No need to sound so snarky. My plans are always brilliant.” Damon claimed with a smirk. Ric just rolled his eyes and sat down again. Damon took a seat as well.  
   
“So let me get this straight: You want me to invite Mason and the two of you. And then what? You`ll ask him if he is a werewolf?” Jenna wanted to know. “I would be a little more subtle about it, but basically, yes.” Damon answered. Elena`s aunt looked at the two men sceptically. After a moment`s hesitation she nodded. “Alright. I guess we could make a barbecue tomorrow. But Mason is a nice guy and I don`t want him to get hurt. I want you both to promise me you won`t do anything rash. Even if it turns out that your suspicion is correct.” she ordered.  
   
Damon frowned. “If our suspicion is correct he tried to kill my brother last night.” he reminded her. Jenna stubbornly crossed her arms. “Maybe he didn`t mean to. Maybe it was accidental or whatever. At least promise me you`ll give him a chance to explain. He deserves that much. Promise me, or I won`t help you.” For a moment she and Damon glared at each other, while Ric looked on in resignation, wondering how long they could keep this up. They were both pretty stubborn. Surprisingly enough, Damon gave in. “Okay, okay. I promise I won`t kill him straight away. But if it turns out that he`s a danger to me or anyone else, he´s dead meat.”   
   
Jenna sighed and nodded. “Okay. Fair enough, I guess. I`ll invite him and then I`ll give you a call.” she promised, getting up and motioning for Ric to remain seated. “It`s okay, I know the way out.” Ric watched her go and then turned to Damon. “Please tell me you have a plan. A real plan.” The vampire shrugged. “We`ll watch him, how he behaves and stuff. Maybe drop a few hints. I don`t know. We`ll make it up as we go. If nothing else works you could shoot him with a silver bullet.” he joked. Ric rolled his eyes. “Great plan.”  
   
Damon only smirked. “What exactly did Stefan say happened last night?” the teacher asked. They needed as much information as they could get or this could end up backfiring on them. Ric was scared it might do just that anyway. “Stefan didn`t say anything. He wasn`t home last night.” Damon let him know and Ric frowned. “And then how do you know that he was attacked?” he asked, clearly puzzled. “Vampire Barbie told me. I found her on my couch when I got home. She was sobbing because my brother made her kill a bunny.”  
   
“And then she came to you of all people?” Ric was more than a little surprised by this. After all the things Damon had done to the girl in the past he should be the last one she´d come to seeking help. But then he remembered the night they had found her after her transition. How she had clung to Damon, begging for his help. How Damon had comforted her. He had been the one to find her. His blood had turned her. Maybe there was some sort of connection after all.   
   
“Who else would she turn to? Katherine?” Damon asked sarcastically. “What did you say to her?” Ric wanted to know, ignoring the vampire´s comment. Caroline had appeared pretty normal today at school. Maybe a little more jittery than usual, but aside from that he hadn`t noticed anything strange about her. “Don`t look at me like that, Ric. I`ve been perfectly nice. I told her the bunny diet won`t work. I even promised I would supply her with blood bags and teach her to feed from humans without killing them.”  
   
Now the teacher was even more surprised. But pleasantly so. “What are you grinning at?” Damon grumbled. “I`m grinning because you`re starting to behave like the old you. The Damon I`ve met three years ago.” Ric explained, the smile never leaving his face. He loved these moments, when he could see the kind hearted man he had known beneath all the posturing and evil vampire exterior. He wanted to believe that this was the real Damon and the other stuff was just an act. But he wasn`t sure yet.   
   
The vampire snorted and shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I can`t have another potential ripper running around town. And since you didn`t allow me to kill her, what was I supposed to do?” he muttered. “I`m glad you`re helping her.” Ric told him honestly. “We`ll see about that. If she gets too annoying I`m going to stake her.” Damon threatened, but Ric could hear no heat behind his words. He suspected that Damon liked feeling needed. He just didn`t like to admit it.  
   
“So, what exactly did Caroline tell you about last night´s events?” the teacher asked, taking pity on the vampire and changing the subject. “She bit the quarterback. Probably would`ve killed him if Stefan hadn`t pulled her off in time. Then she was attacked by a wolf, who tried to bite her. But suddenly Tyler Lockwood appeared and scared it off.” Damon answered. Ric nodded slowly. “So Tyler didn`t change. Which can only mean that he`s no werewolf. That leaves Mason.” He was dreading the confrontation with Mason Lockwood, but he knew it was inevitable. They had to know the truth.  
   
“Okay, enough about Vampire Barbie and the Lockwolves.” Damon said suddenly, as he moved to straddle Alaric`s lap. “You were neglecting me yesterday. How are you going to make up for that?” Ric chuckled and pulled the vampire closer, sliding his hands up Damon´s back beneath the tight shirt. “Oh I guess I can think of a few ideas.”  
   
***  
   
It was early afternoon when Damon knocked on the Gilbert`s front door. He was surprised when Caroline opened. “What are you doing here?” the dark haired vampire asked, while he went inside. “Elena invited me to the barbecue. Guess she wanted some back-up.” the blonde explained, closing the door. “The others are in the kitchen.” Damon nodded and was about to head there, when she stopped him. “Damon, wait. About the … training…” She trailed off, bit her lip nervously. Great, he`d almost forgotten about that. But he couldn`t back out now. Especially after he`d told Alaric about it.  
   
“Meet me tonight at the Grill. About eight?” he offered. Caroline nodded. “Okay.” Damon nodded as well and went to the kitchen, passing Elena who was just on her way out. He found Alaric, Jenna and Mason drinking shots. “Am I too late?” the dark haired vampire asked. Ric shook his head with a chuckle. “Right on time. We were just doing shots.” He went to fetch another glass for Damon, while Mason introduced himself. Damon shook his hand with a smile, forcing himself to be polite. For now. He didn`t miss the fact that Jenna was watching him like a hawk.  
   
“I heard great things about you.” Mason let the vampire know, who raised his eyebrows in response. “Really? That’s weird, ‘cause I’m a dick.” he answered quite honestly. “That`s true.” Jenna chimed in, downing another shot. Ric grinned and clapped Damon on the back. “He`s not always a dick. He has his moments.” Damon couldn`t help but grin, loving the fact that Ric would defend him, even if they were only joking around. “Aww, thanks buddy.” he muttered.  
   
Jenna shook her head and left to take care of the food, while the three men talked a bit. Mason told them about leaving Mystic Falls to find his luck in California, about surfing and the other sports he liked. He did seem like a friendly and easy-going guy, Damon had to admit. But it could still be an act. He certainly wouldn`t drop his caution. They were here to test their theory after all.   
   
Soon enough Jenna told them that the food was ready and asked Ric to fetch the girls. “Where`s Jeremy, by the way?” the teacher asked, once they were all seated around the table. “He`s at the Grill with Anna. She needs to meet some new people.” Jenna answered, before turning to Mason to explain. “Anna is his girlfriend. Her mum died recently, shortly after moving here and now she´s pretty much an orphan, so we took her in.” Damon wondered if this was the official version and if they had told the same story at school. He hadn`t really seen the girl after their escape from the burning building and had almost forgotten about her, truth be told.  
   
Elena seemed uncomfortable with the subject and quickly changed the topic, making the vampire wonder how well she and Anna got along. He remembered that they didn`t exactly have the best start. After all, Anna had abducted the brunette to use her as leverage. Elena was probably still a bit pissed.   
   
But all in all it was a nice lunch. Once the plates were cleared away they moved the party to the living room and Caroline had the brilliant idea to play Pictionary. Damon decided to use the chance for some subtle hints, since Mason was behaving like a perfectly normal guy so far. Maybe it was time to bait him a little.   
   
Sure enough Mason managed to guess pretty much all the movies the vampire was drawing, from ‘Wolfman’ to ‘Dances with wolves’, which meant he was either catching on or he had a very vivid imagination. “How is that a wolf?” Jenna asked, frowning at the wolf in a tutu the vampire had drawn. Damon shrugged. “Come on, that one was easy.” Mason agreed with him, while Jenna giggled and told him he was a terrible artist. Damon started wondering how much she`d had to drink.  
   
They finally ended the game and decided it was time for desert. Damon offered to help Elena in the kitchen, not really surprised when Jenna joined them as well. “I gotta admit, this is fun.” she announced. The vampire chuckled and claimed: “Someone`s getting tipsy.” Elena shook her head and put the pie on a plate. She seemed distracted, but Damon had other things on his mind. “I can handle my liquor.” Jenna claimed, taking a cake knife from a set. Damon looked at it with interest. “These are fancy.”  
   
“My mother's silver set.” the blonde explained. Damon took the knife from her to examine it. “You don`t say. How convenient.” Jenna frowned at him. “You`re not going to stab Mason with that, are you?” she asked cautiously. The vampire snorted. “I said I`d be subtle about it.” he reminded her. “You did. But I`m a little worried about your definition of subtle.” Okay, fair enough. Damon turned to wink at her. “Trust me, Jenna. I`ve got a plan.” He didn`t miss Elena`s worried look at his words. Really, that girl had no faith in his abilities.  
   
Back in the living room the vampire put the knife down next to the pie. “Mason, why don’t you start us off?” Mason nodded with a smile, seemingly unconcerned. “Sure.” He grabbed a piece of pie using his hands instead of the knife. “Oh sorry, I’m an animal.” he apologised and the others joined in his laughter, but Damon cast a knowing glance at Alaric, who nodded in response and addressed Mason: “So you and Jenna never dated?”  
   
“Not like I wasn`t interested, but she was always lost in Logan Fell land.” Mason replied with a shrug. “My mistake. Mason was a catch; he had girls lining up. And Logan turned out to be an ass.” Jenna let them know, casting a regretful smile at Mason. Damon could see Alaric watching the two of them with a calculating look. He didn`t like it at all and chose to bait Mason again. “Really? I always pegged you for a lone wolf.” Mason just smiled and proposed a toast.  
   
Shortly after, Elena and Caroline left, stating they would check up on Stefan. Damon helped clearing the table and was just rinsing his cup in the sink when Mason joined him. “Jenna just brought out “Guitar Hero”.” he said with a dramatic shudder. Damon smiled at him. “Well, I just happen to like “Guitar Hero”. So you my friend, are barking up the wrong tree.” Mason held his eyes for a second. Then he sighed and looked away. “Okay. Enough with the innuendos. You win, you’re hilarious.”  
   
Damon turned off the faucet and looked at him, wondering where this was going. “Come on, man. You don’t think I know what this barbecue is about? The comments, the drawings, the silver knife… You`re quite obvious, you know?” Damon crossed his arms in front of his chest and regarded the other man warily. “Okay, let´s stop the pretence then. How do you know about me? Your brother was completely clueless.” The mayor didn`t even get suspicious when he saw him down in the burning cellar. Idiot. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not your enemy, Damon.”  
   
The vampire snorted. “You tried to kill my brother.” he pointed out. Mason shifted, looked uncomfortable. “He`s got a point there.” Alaric joined the discussion. Damon had heard him hovering in the doorway. Obviously so had Mason, because he didn`t look surprised. “I didn`t mean to. There was confusion. The kids were still there, partying. I couldn’t chain myself up in time. I have no control once I shift.” he explained. Damon regarded him with raised eyebrows, shared a quick glance with Ric, who shrugged.  
   
“I’m serious. Let’s not spark some age old feud that doesn’t apply to us. I don`t mean any harm.” Mason assured. “You expect us to believe that you are in Mystic Falls planting peach trees?” Damon asked sarcastically. He didn’t trust the dog. Not yet. He´d be an idiot if he would just trust him. “I’m here for my family. My brother just died. I`m sure you understand. Please, let’s be above this.” Mason implored, holding out his hand. A peace offering, but still Damon remained sceptical.  
   
Changing tactic, Mason addressed Ric. “Alaric, you seem like an understanding guy. Tell me what I`ve got to do to convince your lover that I`m honest here.” The teacher looked at him in shock and Damon had a hard time hiding his surprise as well. “How do you…?” Ric stuttered. Mason chuckled. “Come on, I`m supernatural. I can smell him all over you.” Heightened senses. Good to know. Damon filed that information away for later use, while Mason was giving Ric a calculating look. “Does Jenna know her boyfriend is fucking a vampire?”  
   
This shook the teacher out of his trance. “I`m not Jenna´s boyfriend and yes, she knows about us. You got a problem with it?” he asked, his voice taking on challenging edge. Mason held up his hands in surrender. “No, no, not at all. Just didn`t want Jenna to get hurt. She`s a great woman. And what or who you`re doing is up to you.” he assured quickly, looking from one man to the other.   
   
“So… what`s it gonna be? This was a nice afternoon and I don`t want to make enemies here, okay?” Again he held out his hand. Damon looked at Ric, who nodded encouragingly and mouthed “do it”. Rolling his eyes the vampire complied and shook hands with Mason. “Alright. But I`m warning you – better chain your furry ass down next time, because if you ever try to attack me or someone I care about I`m going to rip out your heart without a second thought. Are we clear?” The werewolf nodded. “Crystal. Same goes for you.”  
   
He turned to Ric, who shook his hand as well, just as Jenna entered the kitchen. “Did I miss something?” Mason stammered something about guy talk, but Ric interrupted him. “We were right about Mason, but they made peace.” Jenna looked at the wolf. “So you really are a werewolf?” When Mason only stared at her open mouthed, she shrugged. “I know everything. Better get used to it. And you should thank me, because I made those two promise they wouldn`t kill you.”  
   
“No, you made us promise we wouldn`t kill him before he got the chance to explain.” Damon corrected her. Jenna rolled her eyes and called him a smartass. “Well, thank you Jenna. I guess.” Mason muttered, looking at the blonde with a kind of wonder. She smiled at him and Damon saw that calculating look on Ric`s face again. “Okay, I guess I should leave now. Unless you want to join me at the Grill for a few drinks?” Mason asked, looking around, his eyes lingering on Jenna the longest. “Sorry, but I have to be a role model now.” she declined. The two guys turned down the offer as well, so Mason left.   
   
“Okay, I guess that went well.” Jenna commented, once the door had closed. Damon shrugged. “We`ll see if we can really trust him.” The vampire noticed that it was already getting dark outside and remembered his promise to meet Caroline. “You know, I should probably head out too. I`ve got to meet someone. Jenna, thanks for the help. You know, we really should repeat this. Maybe without the dog, but…” Jenna giggled and punched his arm. “You really are a dick. And now off with you.” Still grinning Damon left the house.  
   
***  
   
When he reached the Mystic Grill he found Caroline sitting alone at a table. She looked nervous. Nearby Stefan was having a rather heated discussion with Elena. Damon dropped down into the booth across from Caroline and she jumped in shock. “Are we eavesdropping?” the dark haired vampire asked. The blonde averted her eyes. “She`s my friend. I`m just concerned.” Damon nodded. “Yeah, perfect excuse. But now we`ve got more important things to do, right?”  
   
Taking a deep breath she looked up again. “Okay.” The older Salvatore noticed that Elena was leaving, but chose to ignore her for now. Just like he ignored Mason, who had taken a seat at the bar. “Alright, pick someone.” Caroline looked around the room, until her eyes settled on a blonde guy over at the pool table. “Him? Okay, why not.” Damon shrugged. “Go over and compel him. Tell him to meet you in the alley behind the Grill. And Barbie… try not to be too obvious about it.” he instructed. She got up and made her way over to the pool tables.  
   
Damon remained seated and watched her. She walked up to the guy and asked if he needed someone to play with. He obviously thought she was flirting, because he agreed eagerly. Taking a step closer Caroline compelled him. “Wait five minutes. Then go to the alley behind the Grill and wait there for me.” He nodded and she went to the restroom. Pretty nonchalant, the vampire had to give her that.  
   
When she emerged she joined Damon at the table again. “How am I doing so far?” The dark haired vampire smirked. “Not too bad, Blondie.” They both watched the guy leave and Damon was quite impressed that she didn`t try to follow him right away. She was better at this than he`d thought. “Okay, come on.” he said finally. They got up and went outside. Sure enough the blonde guy was standing in the alley, looking lost. “Tell him to stay calm and quiet. Then ask for his wrist. Bite-marks are easier to hide there.”   
   
She did as she was told. Damon could see her eyes darkening, the capillaries appearing underneath, when she brought the wrist to her mouth. “Keep in mind that he`s human. You don`t want to hurt him. Take only as much as you need.” Taking a deep breath, Caroline bit the offered wrist and started feeding. Damon watched her closely, making sure she wouldn`t take too much. Just as he was about to tell her to stop, she stopped on her own, pulling away with some difficulty.  
   
The dark haired vampire was impressed. “Okay, tell him to forget what happened.” Caroline looked slightly dazed, but she nodded and compelled the guy again. “Forget what happened here. You stumbled and hurt your wrist on a broken bottle. You never saw me out here.” she ordered. “I never saw you out here.” the guy repeated, turning around and walking off. Caroline turned to Damon again. She looked like an eager puppy waiting for praise. “Not bad for the first time. I think you won`t need all that much practice. You`ve already got more restraint than Stefan.” he complimented.  
   
Caroline beamed. “Really?” She threw herself into his arms without warning, hugging him almost fiercely. “Thank you.” The dark haired vampire patted her back awkwardly. “Yeah, don`t mention it. I mean that. Don´t mention it. Next lesson in a few days, okay?” The blonde pulled away and nodded. “Alright. I`ve got to go home now. So… see you around.” Damon watched her go, shaking his head. But a smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth.


	25. Chapter 25

The next day was rather quiet and uneventful, so Damon enjoyed the peace of the moment. Alaric had told him he`d be busy until late afternoon. The vampire wasn`t sure what he was doing. He hadn`t asked and Ric hadn`t elaborated. Damon suspected it had something to do with Jenna and tried not to feel jealous. It wasn`t like he really thought Ric would cheat on him. If you could even call it cheating. They weren`t officially dating, after all. But still, he didn`t like feeling left out. Wanted Ric all to himself.

 A feeling that scared him a little. He and Ric had reached the point where they`d already been at two years ago. And Damon remembered all too well how it had ended back then...

 

FLASHBACK

  _Damon entered the cafe and spied Alaric immediately. He was sitting at a lone table, playing with his ring. It was a nervous habit which the vampire had observed often enough. Slowly he walked over. Ric looked up and smiled at him. "Finally. You`re late Salvatore. What`s gotten into you?" he commented lightly._

  _Damon tried in vain to swallow against the lump in his throat while he took a seat opposite his friend. Of course Alaric noticed that he was acting weird. "Damon? What`s wrong?" he asked worriedly and the vampire felt even worse. But he had to do this. They had gotten too close already. He met Ric`s eyes and did what he had sworn himself he would never do. He compelled his friend. "Listen, Ric.."_

  _Alaric`s eyes widened, became unfocused. Damon hesitated. It was better like this, he told himself. He would free Katherine. Finally. And Ric would get the chance to live a happy life. "You need to forget me now, Ric. We never met. Everything we shared never happened. You won`t remember anything about me."_

  _He looked away, got up and hastened back to the entrance. Looking back one last time he saw Ric blinking in surprise, before going back to drinking his coffee like nothing had happened. The vampire turned away and left. He felt cold. His throat felt too tight and his stomach was churning._

  _But it was for the best, he thought again. He repeated the thought over and over like a mantra. He would free Katherine. Katherine was the one he loved. He would always love her. She counted on him. Alaric would be better off without him. He had started thinking about a divorce lately. Damon knew that he would leave Isobel for him. But it couldn`t be. He had Katherine. She was waiting for him._

  _Once he and Isobel were out of the picture Alaric could meet someone new. Someone who loved him like he deserved. Maybe he would marry again and have kids. Damon liked that thought. Ric would be a great dad. He deserved to be happy._

  _The vampire stopped abruptly when he spied Isobel. "Did you do it?" she asked. He only nodded. "Good. Be on time tonight. Remember our deal." Damon regarded her with raised eyebrows. Her commanding tone made it hard to stay calm. "Don´t worry honey. I`ll be there." he promised and pushed past her. He would turn her and then hopefully he´d never have to see her again. He would free Katherine and get his happy ever after. It was for the best..._

 

The vampire shook his head with a sigh. He should´ve known that Isobel would only lead him on. That her witch would turn out to be a dead end and he wouldn´t come one step closer to freeing Katherine. The damn witch had even dared to laugh at his stupidity for falling for Isobel`s little plan. She had laughed up until the moment he had ripped her heart out.

 Back then he had even contemplated returning to the Duke and compelling Ric again. Making him believe he had only been gone a while and then continuing where they`d left off. But he hadn`t dared. Had been to scared to let Ric get any closer. So instead he had shut off his feelings and made a lot of mistakes. He`d always been good at that.

 And still, despite everything he had Alaric back now. They were that close again. Closer even than before. And again this closeness scared him. But he thought of something his mother had said to him when he´d been a little boy. _Mistakes are there to learn from them. Not to repeat them._ Well, his mom had been a smart woman. And the only one he´d ever listened to. So he would listen to her advice. Even if it was hard.

 A knock at the door startled him out of his musings. It was already late afternoon, but it wasn`t Ric. Damon could tell the difference. Could recognize Ric`s heart-rate and breathing pattern from miles away. He opened the door, surprised to see Jeremy. “I need to talk to you.” the teen declared, pushing past him and waltzing into the living room. “Oh please, do come in. Make yourself at home.” Damon muttered sarcastically, while he followed the boy. “Where`s your girlfriend?”

 “Shopping with Jenna.” the teen answered. “So you decided to visit me? I already told you once – I`m not exactly the big brother type.” the vampire reminded. “Yes, I remember. Don´t worry, I`m actually here to help you.” Jeremy declared. Damon regarded him with raised eyebrows. “What makes you think I need your help?” Since when did the boy believe they were best buddies? “Tyler Lockwood has to kill someone to activate his curse. He’s not a werewolf yet.” Jeremy let him know. “How do you know that?” The teen shrugged. “He told me.”

 “He told you?” Now Damon was really puzzled. “We talked yesterday. So, do you want more information or not?” Jeremy asked. The dark haired vampire sighed and sat down, motioning for the boy to continue. “Mason Lockwood is a werewolf and he’s looking for a moonstone, a special rock connected to the werewolf legend. That’s why he's here.”

 “Why are you telling me all this?” Damon wanted to know. Jeremy sat down as well. “Do I need a reason? Look, I just want to help, okay?” Damon looked at him searchingly, wondering why the hell the boy was here, when another knock at the door startled him out of his musings. This time it was Alaric. The vampire let him in, noticing the box in his hands with a frown. He was about to ask the teacher if he had brought sex toys along, but caught himself in time. The teen was still here and Ric wouldn`t want him listening to a conversation like that.

 “What are you doing here?” Ric asked Jeremy. “Helping Damon. I found out that Tyler`s not a werewolf yet. He has to kill someone to activate the curse. And Mason is looking for a moonstone.” Alaric looked at Damon, who only shrugged in response. “He came to me.” Not like he had told the boy to snoop around. “What you got there?” he asked, pointing at the box. “This is Isobel research’s from Duke. Her assistant sent it to me.” Ric explained, putting the box down and opening it. “Ah, Vanessa. The one who hit on you.”

 “Vanessa, yes. Now, do you remember the old Aztec curse she told us about?” Ric asked. Jeremy walked over to them and peered into the box. “An Aztec curse? Cool.” Damon frowned, but Ric seemed amused by the boy`s enthusiasm. “Yeah, supposedly vampires and werewolves used to roam freely until a shaman put a curse on them to limit their power. Since then, werewolves can only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun.” he explained.

 “Most of them, anyway.” Damon chimed in, showing off his daylight ring. Ric ignored him and went on. “I read some more about it. According to the legend, the werewolf part of the curse is sealed with a moonstone.” He took out a map and showed it to Jeremy. “Maybe Mason Lockwood believes he can use the moonstone to break the curse.” he suggested.

 “If we start believing in some supernatural witchy-woo legend from a picture book, we’re idiots.” Damon grumbled, before asking where the stone was now. “Tyler has it.” The vampire looked at Jeremy. “Can you get it?” The boy hesitated a second, but then he nodded. “Yeah, I`ll get it. But you just said we shouldn`t believe the legend.”

 “It's the same book that says a werewolf bite kills a vampire. Ignoring it would make me an even bigger idiot.” About a week ago he hadn`t even believed that werewolves existed. Now he knew better and he was slowly starting to realize that pretty much anything was possible. Especially when it came to witches. They were a judgy lot. And shamans were technically witches, as far as he knew. So he wouldn`t really be surprised if they had put a curse on supernatural creatures.

 Alaric gave Jeremy a concerned look. “Are you sure you want to get involved in this?” The teen shrugged. “I`m already involved in it. My girlfriend is a vampire. If this legend really is true and a werewolf bite could kill her, I want to know.” Ric didn`t look convinced. “But still… putting yourself into the middle of that? It could be dangerous.” he warned. “I don`t care. I just want to keep Anna safe. I thought you could relate. You`d do pretty much anything to keep Damon safe, wouldn`t you?” Jeremy asked, shocking both men. Damon was starting to wonder if they were really that obvious about their ‘friendship’. First Mason, now Jeremy…

 “Of course I look out for my friends.” Ric mumbled. Jeremy only rolled his eyes. “But you guys are more than just friends.” he pointed out, calling Ric on his bullshit. The teacher appeared to be speechless, so Damon jumped in. “What makes you think that?” Jeremy looked at him like he was dense. “Unlike my sister, who still thinks Ric`s dating Jenna, by the way, I`m very observant. With the way you two look at each other sometimes, it`s really hard to miss. I`m surprised no-one else has noticed. And I`ve been with you when John and the deputies tried to kill all the vampires. I saw how concerned Ric was for you. Also, like I said, my girlfriend is a vampire. She noticed, too.”

 Okay, so maybe they had been that obvious. Not that Damon really minded. He didn`t care who knew about them, but Ric still insisted on secrecy and as long as it made him happy, Damon was willing to play along. “I trust you to keep this secret.” the vampire muttered. “Don`t worry. I won`t say a word. Neither will Anna. It`s really none of our business.” Jeremy assured.

 “Does it… bother you?” Ric asked hesitantly and Damon was starting to wonder if that was really what the secrecy was all about. Was the teacher scared what people might think of him? “No. Why should it? I`ve never been prejudiced and besides – I`m dating a vampire. Would be a little stupid to frown at you for doing the same.” the teen answered easily. “I think he was more worried about the fact that we`re both male.” Damon pointed out, not bothering to tell the boy that technically, they weren`t even really dating.

 “Like I said, I´ve never been prejudiced.” Jeremy repeated, just as his phone rang. He took one look at it and a smile spread over his face. Damon wondered if he knew how obvious he was. “That`s Anna. Guess I better head home. I`ll tell you when I got the stone.” the teen promised, before answering his phone and heading to the door. Damon could hear him muttering something about being right there. Then the door closed behind him and they were alone.

 “Well, that was informative.” Damon commented. “Yeah.” Ric looked a little shell-shocked. The vampire walked over to him and put a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?” For once he didn`t try to hide the concern in his voice. Alaric turned to face him and managed a shaky smile. “I´m fine. A little surprised. Okay, more than just a little actually, but aside from that… Don`t worry.” Damon nodded and decided to drop the subject. Jeremy wouldn`t say anything (if he knew what was good for him) and he didn`t really want to discuss this now.

 “Any more interesting stuff in your box?” he asked, changing the topic. “Not really, no. At least, nothing we haven`t already seen. But I thought I`d bring it over anyway. If you wanna go through the stuff again?” The vampire shook his head. “Maybe when we`ve got more information. Although I`d love to know why Mason wants that stone.” He didn`t trust the wolf, no matter how friendly he behaved. “Maybe Jenna can find out. They`re meeting up at the Grill later.” Ric told him with a grin.

 “Why are you smiling?” Damon asked suspiciously. “She seems to like him. And judging by the way he was behaving yesterday, he likes her too.” The vampire stifled a groan. “You`re not actually trying to play matchmaker here, are you?” Ric shrugged. “Why not? Jenna deserves to be happy. And she`s on our side. If she was dating Mason we could be sure he`s an ally.” Okay, so maybe he had a point there. Not that Damon was going to admit that out loud.

 “If you wanna play matchmaker, fine. But don`t expect help from me.” he warned, before adding. “Maybe you could ask vampire Barbie for help. I`m sure she would be thrilled.” And it would keep her out of his hair for a while. The teacher just chuckled and pulled Damon in for a quick kiss. “I`ll think about it.” He let go again way too quickly for the vampire`s liking. “Wanna stay the night?” he asked hopefully. Ric`s face told him the answer even before the teacher opened his mouth. “I`m supposed to help with that picnic early tomorrow morning.” He sounded apologetic and Damon stifled a sigh. “Next time, okay?” Ric promised. Damon didn`t feel the need to point out that he`d used exactly the same words the last time. This sneaking around was starting to get old.


	26. Chapter 26

Alaric nodded to some of his students, while he strolled to the food tent to grab something to eat. He had spent the whole morning and a good deal of the afternoon helping to set up the historical society volunteer picnic. The teacher had no idea how he always got roped into these things. He just couldn`t say no to Carol Lockwood. That woman didn`t accept no for an answer.   
   
He had to admit that Mystic Falls newest public park was quite nice to look at, even in its current, half-finished state. And the volunteers had really outdone themselves with setting up the picnic. Ric looked around while he grabbed a sandwich and sat down to eat. Elena and Caroline were busy painting a veranda, talking quietly. Stefan was working nearby, casting glances at the two girls every now and then. Ric could also see sheriff Forbes and Carol Lockwood talking to Damon and wondered what that was about.  
   
He tore his eyes away from the dark haired vampire when someone sat down next to him. “Mason, I see you got roped into helping as well.” he greeted the other man. “I think everybody has. But you knew I was here. You`ve been watching me the whole time.” Mason remarked. Ric shrugged, not really surprised that the werewolf had noticed. “Just making sure you`re really no danger to anyone.”  
   
“To Damon, you mean.” Automatically the teacher`s eyes were drawn towards said vampire again, who now turned to look at him as well. Ric wondered if he had felt him staring or if he had been listening to his conversation with Mason. “There are other vampires I care about as well. But mostly you`re right.” he conceded with a smile. Damon smiled back, before returning his attention to the two women.   
   
“I meant what I said, Ric. I`m not your enemy.” Mason assured. “And I believe you. I`m just cautious. No offense, okay?” The werewolf chuckled. “None taken. See you around.” He got up and left. Ric got up and as well and was about to join Damon, when Matt appeared and asked for his help with some tables. Sighing in defeat the teacher followed him.   
   
After he was done helping Matt, he was suddenly faced with Stefan, who wanted to know what they were planning. It took Ric some time to convince him that he and Damon weren`t planning anything, especially not killing Mason Lockwood during today´s picnic. In the end Stefan accepted his explanation that they had made peace with the werewolf, but he remained suspicious and told the teacher to keep an eye on Damon, since his brother simply didn`t make peace.  
   
Ric was about to go in search of Damon, who had suddenly disappeared, when a deputy stepped into his way. “Mr. Saltzman?” The teacher nodded, wondering what was up now. “There has been a little accident. A teenager managed to hit your parked car with his motorcycle. He didn`t hurt himself, at least not badly, but your car suffered quite a bit. I need you to come with me and take a look at the damage.” Ric groaned in frustration. Great. Just what he needed right now. Could this day get any worse? “Okay, lead the way.”  
   
The deputy nodded and took off through the surrounding woods. Alaric followed him, hoping his car wasn`t badly damaged. Like there wasn`t enough to worry about already. He stopped short however, when he suddenly noticed that they were going in the wrong direction. Instead of the parking lot, the deputy was leading him deeper into the woods. “Hey, this is the wrong way. My car is over there somewhere.” he called out, but the guy didn`t stop. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Ric hurried after him and grabbed his shoulder to stop him. “I said you`re going in the wrong direction. My car is over there.” he repeated.  
   
The deputy pushed him away roughly. “I know.” Ric stumbled backwards and stared at the guy suspiciously. “There was no accident.” It wasn`t really a question, but the deputy nodded. “I just wanted to get you away from the party.” he admitted. Ric didn`t like the sound of that. Almost automatically he took on a fighting stance. “Why?” he demanded to know. “Ask him.” the deputy answered, pointing to his left, where another deputy had just walked out from behind a tree. He looked vaguely familiar.  
   
“You don`t even remember me, do you? But I remember you. You knocked me out and left me to die in that fire.” he spat and suddenly Ric recognized him. It was the deputy he had knocked out in the old Gilbert building. He hadn`t been sure if the guy had made it out alive. But obviously he had and now he was pissed. “Sorry man, I was drunk. I don´t even really remember what happened that night.” the teacher lied, slowly inching away from the two deputies. He wondered what they were planning. Nothing good, that much was for sure.  
   
“Drunk my ass. You knew exactly what you were doing. You were helping the vampires.” the guy spat. “So I feel completely justified to do this.” Ric`s eyes widened when he pulled his gun. The first deputy looked shocked as well. “Dean, what are you doing? Put the gun down. This wasn`t the plan. You told me to lure him out here so you could question him. Did you even tell sheriff Forbes?” Ric`s heart was beating wildly, while he watched the two of them. “No, I didn`t. She would only tell me that there is no proof. But I don`t need proof. I know what happened.” Dean declared, pointing the gun at Alaric.  
   
“Come on man, this is a misunderstanding.” the teacher tried to persuade him. There was a strange glint in the deputies eyes he didn`t like at all. The guy had something manic about himself. “Save your breath. I don`t negotiate with the likes of you.” he growled, taking a step closer. “Dean, please.” the other deputy tried again, but Dean cut him off. “Why don`t you just go now, Chris? You`ve been a big help. I`ll take it from here.”   
   
Ric looked at the first deputy pleadingly, knowing he was probably his only chance of escape. The guy seemed torn. But in the end he took off in a run and Alaric cursed under his breath. He was doomed. There was no way he could escape this one on his own. Dean would shoot him before he could take two steps. And since the deputy was a mere human his ring wouldn`t do much good here. “Looks like it`s just you and me now.” Dean taunted. The teacher took a step backwards, holding up his hands in surrender. “Come on man, let´s talk about this like civilised people, okay?”  
   
“Civilised people? You think knocking me out and leaving me to die in that fire was civilised?” the deputy spat. “I`m sorry, okay? It was a misunderstanding. I was drunk…” Ric tried again, but Dean cut him off and told him he was done talking. Alaric`s heart hammered. “You can`t just kill me. People will ask questions.” The deputy only laughed. “A lot of people die or disappear in this town. No-one will ask questions, believe me. I mean, who would miss you anyway?”  
   
Ric couldn`t answer. His head was spinning, trying to think of an escape plan and finding none. He felt paralyzed, unable to move. Could only stare at the deputy, who was practically gloating now. “Come on, beg me for your life. I hadn`t thought you´d give up so quickly. No more smartass excuses? Stupid escape plans? No? Can`t even answer my question? Tell me. Who would miss you, huh?” he taunted. The teacher couldn`t reply. His eyes widened in horror when the deputy grinned maniacally and pulled the trigger. The shot rang loud in the silence. Ric braced himself for the impact.  
   
But it didn`t come. There was suddenly something in front of him, protecting him from the bullet. Or rather – someone. “I would.” Damon`s voice was a low growl. It sounded barely human. In a flash he was at the deputy, knocking the gun away and pushing the guy forcefully into a tree. Ric could hear the sickening crunch of breaking bones. And he didn`t give a shit. Still too shocked by what had just happened, he watched the scene in front of him with a strange, detached curiosity, while one thought kept repeating in his head: Damon had taken a bullet for him.  
   
He blinked when the deputy crumbled in a heap onto the floor, a gaping hole in his chest. Damon dropped the bloody heart carelessly and turned to stare at Ric. He was breathing hard, his face still vamped out. “You okay?” His voice sounded almost normal again. Ric nodded. “Thanks.” Slowly the vampire´s features changed back to normal and he took a step towards Ric, but then he stopped short and looked over Ric`s shoulder. The teacher turned and found the first deputy standing there. Along with sheriff Forbes, who was staring at Damon in horror.  
   
“Oh my god, no. Damon? But you… you can`t be…” she stammered. The vampire took a step towards her, but stopped when she pulled out her gun and aimed it at him. “Stay where you are. Don´t move.” The deputy imitated her by pulling his gun as well. “Liz, put the gun down. You´re my friend.” Damon tried to placate the sheriff. “I said don`t move.” she replied icily. Ric was fumbling for words when there was a swishing sound and the deputy suddenly dropped to the floor. Dead or unconscious – he couldn`t tell. But there was blood on his neck. Caroline was standing over him, blood dripping from her lips. She was looking at her mother almost shyly. “Hi mom.”  
   
Damon used Liz’ distraction to rush over and take the gun away from her. She didn`t even fight. Simply continued to stare at her daughter in shock. “Well, this is a most unfortunate situation. Two deputies dead …and you. What am I gonna do with you?” the dark haired vampire muttered. Caroline took a step towards her mother. “You won’t tell anyone, will you? Mom? Please. Look, I know that we don’t get along and that you hate me, but I’m your daughter and you’ll do this for me, right? Mom, please. He will kill you.” Caroline pleaded.  
   
“Then kill me. I can’t take this.” Liz said quietly, closing her eyes in defeat. Caroline shook her head. “No. Mom, please.” she begged. “Damon, you can`t kill her.” Alaric spoke up, finally shaking himself out of his trance. “Relax guys. No one is killing anybody.” Damon said calmly, looking at the sheriff intently. “You’re my friend.” he repeated and Ric breathed a sigh of relief. For a second there he hadn`t been sure what the vampire would do.  
   
“What are you going to do with her?” Caroline asked hesitantly. “Keep her locked up for a few days. And then, when the vervain is out of her system, I`ll compel her.” Damon explained, looking at the two dead deputies. “We've got to clean this up.” he muttered. “Take care of the sheriff. I`ll get this.” Ric offered. He felt off-balance thanks to this roller coaster ride of emotions. At least taking care of the dead deputies would give him something to do. The dark haired vampire looked at him and nodded reluctantly. “Okay.” He turned to Caroline. “Help him. And then you`ll grab some clothes for your mother and bring them to the boarding house.”  
   
After sharing another look with Alaric he led the sheriff away. Ric turned to the deputies. “Hey, umm would it be okay if I took the…?” Caroline asked, pointing to the guy she had killed. “The less bloody one? Sure.” The teacher bent down to pick up the corpse, marvelling at the fact that it didn`t feel all that strange. He spent too much time around Damon. “I just hope we don`t run into anyone.” They`d have a hard time explaining this. “Don`t worry. I`ll hear it if anyone is close by. We should be able to sneak around the park without encountering anyone.” Caroline assured.  
   
And she was right. Thanks to the blonde´s enhanced hearing they managed to avoid other people and made it to Ric`s car without being noticed. They put the corpses into the trunk (luckily he hadn`t gotten around to cleaning it yet and even the shovels were still in there) and drove off. Caroline seemed jittery, so Ric tried to distract her by talking. “Thanks for your help.” She gave him a shaky smile. “I saw the deputy talking to my mom and listened in. He told her that his friend was trying to kill you. So I followed them. I … I was scared of her ever finding out, you know? We never really got along and now… she hates me.”  
   
Her voice trembled and Ric felt bad for her. “It was very brave of you to help us. And you probably saved Damon`s life tonight.” After everything that the dark haired vampire had done to her in the past, she had faced her mother and revealed her secret to protect him. The teacher was grateful, although he couldn`t really understand it.  
   
“I know. Weird, huh?” she muttered. “I mean, after everything… I remember how he treated me. How he abused me for weeks. Used me as his spy and human blood bag, compelled me to do what he wanted. I remember that and I want to hate him. I want to hurt him.” She shifted in her seat and sighed.  
   
“But then I remember other things. Sometimes he was … nice. He did boyfriend things, like buy me a new dress or compliment me or something. And a few times he talked to me. Like, really talked. Told me things of his past. Of course he compelled me to keep my mouth shut and forget everything later. But still… he confided in me. Talked about his obsession with Katherine and how lonely he felt. And since my transition he`s been nice to me a few times. He was there for me, after Stefan had made me kill that bunny and… I think he`s a nice guy, deep down. He`s just… hurt. And after meeting Katherine, I understand. She did this to him.”  
   
Alaric glanced at her, impressed at her words. He slowly realized that there was a lot more to Caroline Forbes than met the eye. “Did you know that I knew him even before I came to Mystic Falls? He´d compelled me to forget.” the teacher let her know. “Yeah, Elena told me. Stefan thinks he`s just using you, you know? But I think he´s wrong. Damon`s a lot nicer since you are friends again.” Her words made Ric smile. “Glad to hear that. I try my best to be a good influence.” he joked, glad to hear her laugh.  
   
“And as for Stefan… he always believes the worst of his brother. Considering their history you probably can`t even blame him. But I still think it hurts Damon. Of course he would never admit it.” They reached the sheriff`s house and Ric parked in the driveway. “I`ll hurry. And then I`ll help you with the …umm… deputies.” Caroline promised, but Ric waved her off. “Don`t bother. I`ll take care of that. Or do you need a lift to the boarding house?”  
   
“No, it´s okay. I got my car here. Elena gave me a lift to the park earlier.” the blonde told him. Ric watched her enter the house. Then he started the engine again and drove to the forest. He supposed the dead guy from the carnival wouldn`t mind some company.  
   
***  
   
In the meantime Damon had locked sheriff Forbes into one of the cells in the boarding house basement and made her call in sick for work. When he went down again to bring her some blankets, he found the blonde sitting on the cot, staring at the wall dejectedly. “It’s not exactly the Ritz, but it’s secure. Brought you a good thread count. And once the vervain is worked out of your system, I will compel you, you will forget everything and you will be a free woman.” he assured, entering the cell.  
   
Liz took the blankets without looking at him. “Come on, Liz. Don`t act like I`m not even here. That`s pretty childish, don’t you think?” Finally she looked up at him and Damon almost flinched at the hatred he could see in her eyes. Would these people ever change, he wondered. “You lied to me. I thought you were a friend, an ally. When in fact you were the enemy.” she whispered harshly. The vampire snorted. “The enemy? Really? What about all the things I`ve done for this town? All the really evil vampires I`ve killed?” he asked.  
   
Liz didn`t answer, but then again, he hadn`t expected her to. “We`re not all evil, you know? But you narrow minded little people will never see past your petty hatred for everything you consider abnormal.” his voice had taken on a hard edge. Liz was just like the rest of the council. Like his father and the others had been. He turned away when he heard Caroline walk down the stairs, but stopped because Liz finally spoke up again. “Can you keep Caroline far away from me please? I don’t want to see her.” Damon knew that the girl had heard. “She’s your daughter, Liz.” he reminded. “Not anymore. My daughter’s gone.” she sounded bitter. So much like his father. “You have no idea how wrong you are about that.” the dark haired vampire whispered.  
   
Outside Caroline ran back upstairs. Damon was about to open the door, but stopped and looked at the sheriff again. “You want to know how I died? My own father shot me in the back, because I tried to save the woman I loved. My bad that she was a vampire.” He had no idea why he was telling her this. She`d forget it again in a few days anyway. Not even giving her the chance to reply, he finally left and headed upstairs.  
   
Caroline was sitting on the couch, cuddled against Alaric`s side. It looked like she had soaked his shirt with her tears this time. Damon had been so preoccupied with Liz that he hadn`t even heard the teacher arrive. “She hates me.” the blonde mumbled, wiping her eyes. Damon looked at Ric, but the teacher seemed to be just as helpless as he was. “In a few days the vervain will be out of her system. Then I`ll compel her, she`ll forget and she`ll stop hating you.” he said matter of factly. But it didn`t really cheer the girl up.  
   
“Doesn`t matter. She never really liked me in the first place. And now she hates me.” Damon sighed and took a seat across from her. “I know it`s probably no consolation, but I can relate. If my father was still alive, he`d stake me personally.” he said quietly. Caroline looked at him, something like understanding in her eyes. “He killed you. When you tried to free Katherine.” she muttered and he remembered that he had told her once. Damn, he had told her quite a lot of things. Personal things. He hadn`t fully realized that she would remember everything now.   
   
“It`s just who she is. Like my father she was taught to hate vampires. Probably can`t even begrudge her for that.” he shrugged and caught Ric`s eye. The teacher was smiling at him and Damon remembered his comment about behaving like the ‘old Damon’. Finally Caroline managed a shaky smile and pulled away from Ric, who offered to take her home. Biting her lip, she shook her head. All of a sudden she looked scared.   
   
“I can’t go home.” Damon frowned, looked at Ric, who only shrugged in response. “Why not?” the teacher asked gently. The blonde hesitated. “Because.. Katherine will be there and she’s gonna want me to tell her everything that happened today. She told me I had to spy on Elena and report back to her. She threatened Matt and … I’m so scared of her.” she admitted. Ric hugged her again, casting a worried glance at Damon. “So that`s the reason why my brother and Elena pretend to be fighting.” the vampire muttered. He`d already wondered about that, but Stefan wouldn`t tell him anything.  
   
“They`re only pretending?” Caroline asked. “Stefan isn`t spending his nights at home and their little arguments are just stupid. They probably noticed something was going on.” Damon let her know. His brother might be stupid, but obviously not that stupid. “Then they know that I was spying on them. Oh god, I`m a horrible friend.” the blonde exclaimed. “Stefan knows Katherine and what she`s capable of. I`m sure no-one`s blaming you.” Ric tried to comfort her.  
   
“You can stay here. There are a few spare bedrooms upstairs. Just pick one.” Damon offered. He felt kinda bad for the girl. After all, he knew what Katherine was capable of as well. And since they already had one house guest, another Forbes probably wouldn`t matter much. “Thank you. I`ll do that. But can I just sit here for a while?” Caroline asked. The dark haired vampire shrugged. “Sure. As long as you want. There are blood bags in the freezer downstairs. Just help yourself.”  
   
Caroline nodded and curled up on the couch, so he got up and went towards the stairs. Ric followed him. “I guess you`re heading home?” The vampire tried to keep his tone light. No need to show the teacher how much he´d want him to stay. He would only get turned down again. “I`d rather stay here. If that`s okay.” Ric answered, taking him completely by surprise. Damon stared at him, wondering if he understood correctly. “Sure, just pick a room.” he muttered after a second. Ric`s smile made his heart flutter. “Alright.”   
   
The teacher moved past him and walked upstairs. Damon cast another glance at Caroline, who was staring transfixed into the flames of the fireplace,  seemingly lost in thought. Turning away he walked to his own bedroom, where he found Alaric sitting on his bed. “I haven`t thanked you, yet. You saved my life.” the teacher murmured. Damon shrugged. “Just returning the favour.” He was more than a little surprised that Ric obviously wanted to spend the night with him, despite the fact that there were other people in the house who might notice.  
   
“How did you know I was in danger?” Ric wanted to know. “Jenna told me she`d seen you walk into the woods with a deputy. I didn`t like the sound of that, so I went to investigate.” He had heard Alaric`s racing heartbeat before he was even remotely close and had quickened his pace instantly. Arriving on the scene it had taken him only a split second to realize what was going on and he had thrown himself in front of Ric without thinking. From there on things blurred for a moment. His anger had taken over. His only thought had been to tear the deputy apart, to punish him for trying to hurt Alaric.  
   
It made his stomach turn to think how close he had come to losing Ric. Just the thought of losing him was unbearable. “You took a bullet for me.” the teacher noticed quietly. Damon shrugged it off. “Don’t worry about it. Wasn`t a wooden one. It`s all healed up.” At that moment he had been so angry that he`d barely even felt the impact. Ric looked at him and the vampire almost shivered under the intense gaze. “Show me.” Swallowing hard, Damon walked over, stopped directly in front of Ric and started unbuttoning his shirt.  
   
“Here.” He pointed to the spot where the bullet had hit him, close to his shoulder. The skin was unmarred, no trace of a wound left. The teacher reached up and tugged him down. Damon complied, settling onto his lap. He shuddered when Ric gently kissed the spot, his lips lingering there for a second, before moving away again. The vampire looked down on him and then crashed his lips against Ric`s without warning. Ric responded immediately, wrapping his arms around Damon´s torso, pushing the shirt off his shoulders.  
   
Damon shrugged out of the shirt and then reached out to rid the teacher of his shirt as well. He groaned when Ric pulled him even closer and started grinding his hips against the other man`s, felt the answering hardness in Ric`s jeans. They broke the kiss, both gasping for air and Alaric`s hands moved to the vampire`s fly, while his lips trailed over Damon`s throat, kissing and nipping. Damon pulled away reluctantly, standing up to shed his jeans, watching Ric do the same.  
   
With a sly smile he pushed the man back down onto the bed and crawled over him, let his lips trail slowly over Ric`s skin, from the waistband of his boxers up to his neck. Ric bucked up against him. “I want you to bite me.” Damon stilled and looked down at the man, taken aback by the request. “Are you sure?” Usually he wouldn`t hesitate. Would jump at the offer. But everything was different with Ric. The teacher smiled. That slow smile that always did funny things to Damon´s insides. “I`m sure. Bite me. Like that first time.”  
   
He bared his throat to the vampire, completely trusting. Damon leaned down, dropped feather-light kisses onto his throat, traced the vein with his tongue. He could feel the blood flowing just beneath the skin. His gums were aching, his fangs extending, itching to bite. But he took his time, wanting to savour the moment. Wanting Ric to enjoy this as much as he did. When he finally sank his fangs into the soft flesh, Alaric moaned loudly and arched against him. Damon groaned. Ric`s blood was heady and sweet, tinged with the edge of arousal. He rubbed against the teacher, who bucked up into his movements. So close.   
   
Then all of a sudden the door to his bedroom flew open and Damon jumped in shock. He had been so completely lost in the taste and feel of Alaric, that he hadn`t heard the footsteps outside, quickly approaching his room. Hadn`t noticed anything but the gorgeous man beneath him. Startled out of his trance he withdrew his fangs and sat up, slightly disoriented. A few drops of blood escaped his lips and trickled down his chin.   
   
Stefan was standing about a foot away from the bed, Elena slightly behind him. Damon couldn`t tell who looked more shocked out of the two of them. The younger Salvatore was opening and closing his mouth a few times, but no sound came out. Elena was staring at Damon in horror. Then she saw Alaric and gasped. “Oh my god, Ric!” Her gaze fixed on Damon again, her eyes narrowed. Her expression changed from shock to fury. “How could you? He`s your friend. He trusted you and you… you… You monster!”  
   
Damon was so startled at her outburst that he couldn’t even react. But Elena was far from finished. She stepped closer and tried to pull the vampire off the bed, all the while shrieking, her voice taking on an almost hysteric tone. “Get away from him!” That finally spurred Stefan into motion. He grabbed Damon´s arm, pulled him off the bed and pushed him forcefully against the wall. Damon was too surprised to put up much of a fight. “You sick bastard. This is low, even for you.” Stefan growled. “Why him, huh? Wasn`t corrupting innocent girls enough for you? Did you need to take it to the next level?”  
   
Finding his footing again, Damon pushed him off. “Get your hands off me, Stefan!” The younger one stumbled backwards. He was no match for his brother`s strength, but he didn`t back down. “Why Alaric? To hurt Elena? Because he`s dating Jenna and by hurting her you hurt Elena? I guess we can be glad you didn´t pick Jeremy. Or are you messing with him too?” The accusations stung. Damon knew he was no saint, but it hurt to know how little his brother thought of him.  
   
He looked over at Alaric, who was sitting on the bed, looking completely shocked, while Elena was fussing over him, telling him it would all be okay. He tried to interrupt her a few times, but she kept on chattering, something about finding a bandage and bringing him home, Jenna not needing to know and vervain. Stefan was still stringing curses at his brother.   
   
Finally Alaric had had enough. “Elena!” He hadn`t exactly shouted, but his voice was loud and commanding enough to shock the two into silence. “Would you just shut up and listen to me for a second?” The brunette flinched at his harsh tone, but remained quiet. “Damon didn`t hurt me. He didn`t threaten me and he also didn`t compel me. I`m wearing a vervain-bracelet and aside from that, he wouldn`t do it. He learned his lesson.” the teacher explained calmly. They had never talked about this, but Damon had learned his lesson and had sworn to himself he would never use compulsion on Ric again. He was glad the teacher knew that.  
   
“But… but he…” Elena stammered, pointing to Ric´s neck, where a little bit of blood was still oozing out of the wound. “Yes, he fed from me. I asked him to.” Ric answered honestly, even as he averted his eyes. “So stop blaming Damon. I wanted this.” The vampire felt a little thrill run through him. Alaric was defending him. No-one had ever stood up for him like this. It made his undead heart beat a little faster.  
   
Elena on the other hand was now completely shocked. “You wanted… but.. but.. why?” Alaric blushed a little at the question. “Stefan never fed from you, did he?” he commented. “He did. After we saved him from the tomb vampires. He was so weak and that vampire was after us.” the brunette explained with a frown, obviously not understanding what the teacher was hinting at.  
   
“No finesse.” Damon chimed in. “It can feel good. It doesn`t have to.” He noticed that Stefan suddenly found the floor very interesting and remembered that there had been a time when his brother had indulged in human blood as well. He knew what Damon was talking about. But now he was probably too scared to even try, since there was a good chance he`d accidently kill Elena. Maybe it was better this way. Wouldn`t do for him to rip the brunette`s head off. He would never forgive himself and probably attempt suicide again.  
   
“You`re not actually telling me you .. you like it when Damon…?” Elena asked hesitantly and Ric`s blush deepened. “I do.” he admitted quietly, still not daring to meet her eyes. “Oh and I have no idea what gave you the impression I was dating Jenna. We`re only friends. She found out pretty early on that my… interest lies elsewhere.” he mumbled, glancing at Damon who grinned at him.   
   
“Well, that explains a lot.” All four turned to look at Caroline, who had suddenly appeared in the doorway. “What are you talking about?” Elena again. That girl just couldn`t keep her mouth shut. As much fun as this was, Damon wanted them all gone from his bedroom now, so he and Ric could continue where they had left off before they were so rudely interrupted. But no, the others had to stay for a discussion.   
   
“Haven`t you noticed that Damon`s a lot nicer lately? And he and Ric are always together. Were you never wondering about that?” the blonde asked. Stefan snorted. “I have noticed, but I wasn`t wondering. I know my brother. He`s planning something. And, sorry to say that Ric, but he´s using you. You`re only a pawn in his newest little game.” Despite everything it hurt Damon to hear those words. He and his brother had been at each other`s throat for over a century, but still, when it came down to it they had stuck together. But obviously that meant nothing to Stefan.  
   
“Believe what you want, Stefan. I know better.” Ric said with total conviction, giving Damon a look that clearly told the older Salvatore he meant it. “I agree with Alaric.” Caroline chimed in again and Damon decided he liked that girl after all. At least until she went on: “I mean, just look at them. They`re so obviously in love.” Damn vampire Barbie for bringing that up, when Damon was in no way ready to address his feelings, let alone admit them out loud.  
   
“Why did you come barrelling into my bedroom anyway?” he asked, trying to change the subject. He didn`t dare to look at Ric, afraid what he might see in the teacher`s eyes. “Caroline told us what happened today. We wanted to make sure you`re okay.” Elena answered. The older Salvatore rolled his eyes. That girl really had to control everything. “Well, as you can see, we`re both fine. So why don`t you leave now and mind your own business?”  
   
Elena opened her mouth to protest, but Caroline grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the door. “Come on, Elena. Leave them alone.” It made up at least a little for her earlier comment. Elena protested and cast a worried look at Ric, who rolled his eyes in response. “I`m a big boy, Elena. I can look after myself. And he won`t hurt me.” Not a sliver of doubt there. Finally the brunette gave in and left. Stefan glanced at his brother again, a frown on his face, but he followed the girls without further comment.  
   
“Finally.” Damon grumbled, turning to face Ric again. He felt slightly nervous, not sure how the teacher would react to Blondie`s little comment. Alaric flopped down on the bed and looked up at him, a slow smile spreading over his features. “Since I turned down Elena`s offer to patch me up, you should probably take care of that.” he pointed to the bite-mark on his neck and Damon breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed like Ric didn`t want to talk. At least not right now.  
   
Grinning in response the vampire moved to straddle his hips again. Without taking his eyes off Alaric, he bit down on his own wrist and offered it to the man, a little surprised when Ric´s lips closed around the wound without hesitation. Yes, Ric had tasted his blood before, but only a tiny bit each time. Really only a few drops. Now he was taking more, swallowing almost greedily, before letting go and staring up at Damon with a dazed look. There was blood smeared across his lips and Damon couldn`t help but lean down and kiss him.  
   
Ric moaned into the kiss, wrapped his arms around the vampire and rolled them over, so he was now pinning Damon down on the bed. The vampire didn`t complain. He simply wrapped one leg around Ric and arched against him, deciding that tonight he wouldn`t even try to keep quiet.


	27. Chapter 27

„No, no, no. These boxes need to be carried out to the backyard. Not in here.“ Carol Lockwood ordered with an exasperated sigh. Alaric resisted the urge to roll his eyes and picked up the boxes again, wondering for what seemed like the thousandth time how he always got roped into this. He really needed to learn to just say no.

 

Okay, this time it was all Jenna`s fault. She had enlisted his help with setting up the Masquerade Ball at the Lockwood Mansion and he just hadn`t been able to say no. After all, she was always there when he needed someone to talk to and had been a big help for him over the past few weeks.

 

Carrying the boxes outside he passed Elena, ignoring the look she sent his way. Four days had gone by since the little incident in Damon´s bedroom and still Elena was looking at him with a mixture of pity and some emotion he couldn`t really identify, whenever they crossed path. Stefan`s facial expression seemed to be set in a permanent frown these days, but according to Damon that was nothing new. Still it was grating on Ric`s nerves. He wasn`t sure however if the secretive smiles Caroline sent his way were all that much better.

 

Sheriff Forbes had returned home yesterday, freshly compelled after her unwilling stay at the Salvatore boarding house. According to Damon she and Caroline had talked it out, had even made up, but the blonde vampire had still compelled her mother to forget everything that had happened, not really trusting her to keep it secret. Liz thought she had been sick and had therefore stayed home for a few days. It was probably better this way.

 

Aside from that not much had changed. Ric and Damon hadn`t talked about Caroline`s words, had chosen to ignore them instead. But they kept repeating in the teacher´s head like a mantra. > _They`re so obviously in love._ < He couldn`t help but wonder if she was right, but was too afraid to confront Damon about it.

 

Despite the fact that quite a few people knew about them now, they still kept their relationship private. Elena and Stefan had promised to keep their mouth shut, probably glad that the teacher at least didn`t want to make it public and even Caroline refrained from gossiping so far. Ric was wondering what Damon had said to her. Knowing Damon it had most likely been a threat.

 

Elena had tried to talk to him about the events of that night once, but Ric had made it clear that he trusted Damon and had asked her to let it go. She might be his pseudo-stepdaughter or whatever and he really appreciated her concern, but he still didn`t want her to meddle in his affairs. After a long talk with Jenna, who had found the whole thing highly amusing, the brunette had complied. Now if only she would stop looking at him like that.

 

The teacher was startled out of his musings by the arrival of a certain dark haired vampire. “Hey. Didn`t know you got roped into helping, too.” Ric greeted him. Damon shrugged in response. “Maybe I`m just here to see you.” Alaric could feel his cheeks heat at the statement and hoped Damon wouldn`t notice. The vampire was just joking around after all. Wasn`t he? But Damon`s grin told him he had noticed. Surprisingly enough he didn`t tease Ric about it.

 

“I just had a little chat with my brother. He had some rather… disturbing news.” Alaric frowned, not liking the sound of that. “What news?” he asked, although he wasn`t really sure he even wanted to know. “Katherine’s dating Mason Lockwood.” Okay, that was a surprise. “What? Are you sure?” He had thought Mason was interested in Jenna. “Obviously witchy had a vision or something. And since I highly doubt that Mason has a secret affair with Elena…  Also, like my baby bro pointed out, Mason got into town right after Katherine did. Could be coincidence, but I doubt it.”

 

“But… Katherine and Mason? That´s an unlikely pair, don’t you think?” the teacher questioned. “She’s got to be using him. Maybe she wants the moonstone as well and is using Mason to get it.” Damon mused. Ric nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, maybe. What are we gonna do now?” Damon was about to answer, when Anna and Jeremy walked up to them. “I didn`t get the stone. Tyler gave it to his uncle.” the teen said without warning. Well, at least he wasn’t beating around the bush.

 

“Okay, that changes things.” Damon said. “We need to find out why he wanted that stone. And we better hurry. If it`s really Katherine who wants the stone there`s a chance he already gave it to her.” Ric nodded in agreement. “Wait, what has Katherine to do with all this?” Anna spoke up for the first time. Ric had noticed that she was a rather quiet girl. Not only in class. “She`s dating Mason Lockwood.” the teacher explained. Anna looked troubled at the news. “That´s not good. I think she made a deal with George Lockwood back in 1864. Emily said he arranged her escape in exchange for some magical artefact.” she let the men know.

 

“The moonstone?” Jeremy guessed, but the girl only shrugged. “I don`t know. Emily wouldn`t tell me more. But Katherine must have known about the Lockwood curse. She once said that George used the vampires to cover his own tracks. It didn`t make much sense to me back then, but now…” Alaric was rather surprised by how much she knew. But then again, she was a quiet girl and therefore easily overlooked. She had probably heard a lot back then, because people weren`t really paying attention to her.

 

“Come on, Ric. We`ve got to find that dog.” Damon muttered. Ric nodded and told the vampire to lead the way. “Wait, what do you want us to do?” Jeremy stopped them. Damon glanced back at him, his eyebrows shooting up at the teen`s eagerness. “Nothing.” Jeremy looked indignant. “We can help you. I`m no kid that has to be protected. I helped you already.” he protested. “He`s right, Jeremy. If Katherine is behind all this you don`t want to get involved. Please, just let it go.” Anna practically begged. Jeremy hesitated for a second, but then complied with a sigh.

 

Satisfied that the boy would stay out of their way, Ric and Damon walked towards the house. “He`s got to be here somewhere, right?” Damon asked. “I know I saw him earlier. Not sure if he left, though. I didn’t pay all that much attention.” Ric admitted. He stopped when Damon suddenly veered off to the right and was about to question the vampire when he spotted Bonnie. “What are you doing?” Ric asked, but the vampire ignored him and headed straight for the witch.

 

“We need your help. Come on.” Without waiting for a reply, Damon her grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the garden. Ric had a very bad feeling about this and hurried to follow them. “What do you want?” Bonnie asked, freeing herself from Damon`s grasp. “I need a favour.” Bonnie looked at him like he`d gone mad. “Like that's gonna happen.”

 

“Bonnie, please. I know how you feel about helping Damon, but Katherine is a threat to us all. We really need your help here.” Ric chimed in, trying to mediate. “We don`t ask much. All you have to do is touch Mason Lockwood again to see if he gave Katherine the moonstone.” Damon explained. The witch frowned. “My visions don’t work like that. I get random pictures, maybe a vague feeling. I don’t get to ask questions.”

 

“Great. That means we`ll have to do it the hard way.” the vampire muttered, turning to Ric. “Think you could lure him away? I can hardly knock him out and carry him off with that many people around.” The teacher frowned. He didn’t like the sound of that. “Carry him off? What exactly is your plan?” he asked sceptically. “We`ll bring him to the boarding house, chain him down and… question him.” Damon stated. “Torture him until he talks, you mean?” Ric guessed, appalled at the idea. “Well, if you wanna put it that way…” Damon didn`t even have the decency to look sheepish. In fact he looked rather smug. Shaking his head in resignation, the teacher declared: “You can`t just torture him.”

 

“And what do you suggest?” Damon wanted to know. “I suggest we ask him.” The vampire looked at Ric like he`d lost his mind. “And you seriously think he`s just going to tell us the truth? He`s with Katherine, Ric.” Alaric stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest. “I don`t care. He hasn`t done anything to harm us so far. I won`t let you make an enemy.” Damon snorted. “He attacked Stefan and vampire Barbie.” he reminded. “He said it was an accident. And before you ask, yes I believed him.” Ric stated firmly.

 

“Guess you don`t need me anymore. So I`ll let you talk it out or whatever. Just keep me out of it, okay.” Bonnie spoke up again, before turning her back on the two men and walking back inside. Neither paid her much attention. Realizing that Damon wasn`t going to back down anytime soon, Ric tried for a compromise. “Let me talk to him. And if that doesn´t work, we`ll do it your way. Okay?”

 

For a long moment the vampire just stared at him. Finally he huffed a sigh. “We will talk to him. I won´t leave you alone with a werewolf. And if he`s uncooperative, which he will be, you´ll help me to get answers the hard way.” Alaric didn`t like it, but he knew that they really had no other choice here, so he agreed. He only hoped Mason wouldn`t be as uncooperative as Damon thought.

 

***

 

They found Mason in the parking lot, unloading boxes from a truck. He gave the two men a suspicious look when they strolled up to him. “Hey guys, something wrong?” He tried to play it cool, but even Ric could tell he was nervous. Good, maybe that would make him talk. “We wanted to talk to you. Do you have a minute?” the teacher asked, trying to keep his tone light. No need to get the guy even more alarmed. Still Mason seemed wary. “I guess. Let`s go inside.” he offered. Inside, where Carol was supervising lots of volunteers who helped to decorate the house. The werewolf wasn`t stupid.

 

“Sure, why not. Let`s go inside where we can talk in private.” Damon agreed. Mason nodded and led them into the house. They walked down the hall into an office. The werewolf shut the door behind them and sat down on the couch, while Damon and Ric remained standing. “What’s Katherine doing in Mystic Falls?” the vampire asked without preamble. Mason`s eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly tried to hide his surprise and shrugged. “I don`t know who you`re talking about. Sorry.”

 

Damon´s eyes narrowed. “Don`t play dumb. We know you`re here with her. We also know that you`re looking for a moonstone that can supposedly break a curse and that your nephew gave it to you. What we don`t know is why you want the stone. And why Katherine is here.” he said. Mason tensed, but didn`t look ready to back down. “She’s here with me. Why do you ask, are you jealous?” he taunted and Ric had to stifle a curse. Baiting Damon. So not a good idea. The vampire gave a humourless laugh. “Yeah, right. I pity any guy who´s dumb enough to fall for that bitch.” he spat.

 

“Maybe she compelled him?” Ric mused aloud. “He´s supernatural, so she can’t compel him. No, I’m sure she used her other charms. Katherine’s good that way. I fell for it too.” Damon muttered darkly, turning back to the werewolf. “Okay, I don`t have time for your little games. I want answers. And I want them now.” he demanded. Mason just stared at him and stubbornly kept his mouth shut. Ric decided it was time for an intervention or this might end very nasty. “Mason, I suggest you tell us what we want to know. You said you didn`t want to make enemies. You should stick to that.”

 

His words didn`t have any effect. Giving Ric a look that clearly said “I told you so.”, Damon took a menacing step towards the werewolf. “I`m playing it nice right now to humour Ric, but if you`re not cooperating I have other methods to get you to talk. And I would be more than happy to use those. Believe me.” he threatened in a low voice. “Why do you want that stone?”

 

Mason hesitated for a moment. Then he obviously realized that the vampire wasn`t kidding and his shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m getting it for Katherine. She’s going to use it to lift the curse.” he explained. Damon and Ric shared a confused glance. “Of the moon? Why would she help a werewolf break a curse that keeps them from turning whenever they want?” the vampire asked completely puzzled. “Because she loves me and then I wouldn’t have to turn anymore.” He really seemed to believe that. He sounded so sure. “Katherine doesn’t love you. She's using you, you moron.” Damon said harshly.

 

“No, she loves me. She`s the only one who was there for me, when…” Mason trailed off, looking like he`d already said too much. “When what?” Damon asked, taking another step closer, towering over the werewolf threateningly. “When I activated the curse.” Mason whispered. “I had gotten into a fight. With a friend. He was drunk and thought I had slept with his girlfriend. I hadn`t. But he wouldn`t believe me, wouldn`t back down, so I pushed him and… he died.” His voice sounded broken and Ric found himself actually feeling sorry for the guy. Damon however looked thoughtful.

 

“You`re friend attacked you? Didn`t back down? Was that unusual for him?” he asked and Ric slowly realized what he was getting at. Mason however frowned, not understanding. “Very. He wasn`t a violent guy usually.” The vampire made a tsking sound. “You’re really that stupid, aren`t you? A friend attacks you without reason and you never wondered why?” Now the werewolf seemed completely puzzled. “Katherine compelled him. She made him attack you.” Ric spoke up. For a moment Mason seemed to ponder that, but then he shook his head vehemently.

 

“No way! She would never do something like that. She loves me. And I love her.” he declared. Damon snorted. “I know you believe that. I’ve been where you are. I`ve wasted 145 years pining for that bitch. But Katherine will only rip your heart out.“ The werewolf got up and turned away. “I`ve told you all I know. I suggest you leave now.”

 

“You told us nothing useful.” Damon argued. “Where is the stone? Do you still have it? Or did you give it to her already?” Mason didn`t react. Ric was about to say something, when Damon pushed the werewolf forcefully against a wall. Ric flinched at the sound of the impact. One of Damon`s hands went to Mason`s throat, choking him. “Answer my questions.” he ordered, his voice dangerously low. Mason struggled, but he was no match for the vampire`s strength. Alaric watched the scene with growing discomfort. This was a side of Damon he didn`t like.

 

“I`m giving it to her tonight.” Mason finally choked out. Damon let go and the werewolf slumped to the ground, coughing and clutching at his throat. “When and where?” Looking up at Damon, Mason shook his head. “I`m done talking. You can kill me, but then you`ll never find the stone.” Ric had to admit, his resolve was quite impressive. The vampire however didn`t look impressed at all. He looked pissed, ready to grant Mason`s wish and kill him.

 

Ric knew he had to do something to stop him. Aside from the fact that Mason didn`t deserve death, it would also cause a lot of commotion and he wasn`t sure if anyone had seen them enter the room with Mason. Acting quickly, he grabbed Damon´s arm and steered him towards the door. “Come on, he won`t tell us more. Just let it go.” The vampire allowed Ric to lead him out, but once they were back in the hallway, he pulled out of the teacher`s grasp and stormed away.

 

Alaric followed him warily. “Great plan. We`ve learned nothing.” Damon grumbled as they reached the parking lot. “We learned that he`s in love with Katherine. That he believes her lies and that she wants the stone. And that she doesn`t have it, yet. He wouldn`t have told us more.” the teacher argued. “Yes, he would. I would have made him talk, if we had done it my way. But no, you had to go all pacifist on me.” Damon spat.

 

“I can`t let you run around, torturing and killing innocent people.” Alaric protested. “Innocent? He`s a fucking werewolf and Katherine`s newest plaything!” the vampire shot back. Ric shook his head sadly. “Don´t be like this, Damon.” He hated how broken his voice sounded. Hated seeing this dark side of the vampire. “Like what? Like a vampire? This is what I am, Ric. I`m a killer. It`s my nature. You have no idea how many people I`ve killed. And aside from a handful of exceptions I don`t feel remorse over any of them.”

 

The teacher turned away, not wanting Damon to see how much the words hurt him. What had he been expecting? Damon was a vampire. And it wasn`t like Ric hadn`t known that he had killed many people. He just chose not to think about it usually. Had pushed the thought away and concentrated on the vampire`s good treats. “You do know that I have to kill him before he has the chance to give the moonstone to Katherine, right?” Damon´s icy voice cut through his musings.

 

With a resigned sigh he turned back to the vampire. “Yes, I know that you believe that. Doesn`t mean I have to like it.” Damon´s expression was unreadable. “You don´t have to help me. But don`t try to stop me either.” he warned. The teacher nodded. “Fine. Do what you think you have to do. I`ve got a dinner invitation from Jenna anyway.” For a second he thought he saw something like hurt flicker over Damon´s face. But it was gone in a second, so he couldn`t be sure. Still he had a bad feeling when the vampire turned and stalked away without another word.


	28. Chapter 28

A couple of hours later Alaric was helping Jenna in the kitchen, while she enthused about the Masquerade Ball and told him stories of the things she had experienced there in earlier years. Ric was only half listening to her, his mind miles away, worrying about Damon and what he might be doing right now. “You could at least pretend to be interested, you know.” Jenna suddenly stated. The teacher looked at her sheepishly. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.” Jenna turned to face him. “Okay, what´s up?” 

Hesitating a second, the teacher admitted: “Damon and I had a fight.” She nodded, seemingly having expected something like this already. “About what?” Ric bit his lip nervously. He knew that Jenna liked Mason. And while he didn`t want to lie to her, had never lied to her since that night the vampire´s attacked them, he also didn`t know how to tell her the truth. Damon would find a way to cover up Mason´s death. Of that he was sure. Wouldn`t it be better if Jenna didn`t know?

 “We just… had a different opinion on things.” he muttered. “Could you be any less specific?” Jenna mocked. With a sigh Ric gave in. She would probably find out anyway and then she`d be pissed at him. He didn`t have to go into detail, he reasoned. “We found out that Mason knows Katherine. So of course we wanted to know more. I suggested that we should just ask, but Damon wanted to… to torture him.” he admitted quietly. Jenna gasped in shock. “Please tell me he didn`t…” she whispered, proving that she did like the werewolf.

 “He didn`t. I wouldn`t let him. We talked to Mason and he answered most of our questions. After Damon threatened him, that is. But still we had a fight about it.” She really didn`t need to know the rest, although he felt bad when he saw her relief at his words. “I take it he was mad at you for stopping him?” Jenna asked. Ric nodded. “He said some things and … I just hate it when he acts like that. All evil and uncaring. I mean, I know that there´s a different side to him. A dark side. Of course I know. I`m not naïve. I try to accept that and not to think about it, but sometimes … it`s just hard to accept.” the teacher tried to explain, shrugging a little helplessly.

 Because Caroline was at least partially right. He did love Damon. More than was good for him, probably. But he wasn`t sure if it would work out. If the vampire really felt the same or if Elena and Stefan were right and it was all just an act. Mostly he was convinced that Damon felt something for him as well. But then there were these days when the insecurities just got the better of him. And Damon acting like a dick didn`t exactly help matters.

 “I don`t really know what to tell you, Ric.” Jenna said honestly. “If anyone knows Damon, the real Damon, it`s you. I remember that I told you once to be careful. That he`s a flirt. And he is. But I`m starting to wonder how much of it is just an act. It´s like he has these masks he shows the world. Sometimes I wonder if anyone really knows him. Although he seems different around you. More relaxed and easy-going. At least, when he thinks no-one`s looking. I think he cares for you. Probably more than he likes to admit.”

 Ric was a little taken aback at her words. She must have given his relationship with Damon a lot of thought, he realized. “Just looking out for a friend.” Jenna stated with a shrug when he mentioned this. She walked over and patted his arm. “If it´s real, you`ll always find a way to see the man behind the monster. And who knows, maybe you can even tame the monster one day.” she suggested. Ric chuckled. He doubted anyone would ever be able to tame Damon. He wasn`t even sure if he wanted to.

 The ringing of the phone interrupted their talk and Jenna went to answer it. Ric only listened half-heartedly. Their talk had gotten him thinking. Damon had once said: “ _You accept me the way I am. I like you because you understand me. You don`t judge me.”_ And wasn`t that what love was really about? Accepting the other the way he was, with all his flaws and bad habits? Okay, you probably couldn`t call killing people a bad habit, but still… He had fallen in love with a vampire and he had known what he was getting himself into. So maybe he really needed to just accept it.

 While Jenna still talked to whoever was on the phone, Elena showed up, giving Ric that look again. It was getting beyond annoying. Did she really think she had to protect him from Damon? But he knew that he couldn`t convince her that Damon hadn`t manipulated him or something, no matter what he said, so he didn`t even try. Instead he asked her where Jeremy was. At least the boy was cool about his relationship with Damon. “He and Anna are still at the Lockwoods, having dinner with some of the other volunteers.” Elena explained with a frown.

 Alaric didn`t like the sound of that. He was afraid that Jeremy might still be trying to help Damon and him and get himself into trouble by doing so. Maybe Damon had even enlisted the teen`s help. Ric wouldn`t put it past him. Before he could voice his concerns however, Jenna handed the phone over to Elena. The girl answered it and cast a shocked look at the teacher seconds later. She listened to the caller and Ric watched her brow crease in worry. “What´s going on?” he asked, but Elena shushed him with a gesture. She went paler by the second.

 Suddenly she stared past him, completely horrified and called out: “Jenna, no!” Ric turned around in time to see Jenna stab herself in the stomach and fall to the floor. “Oh my god, Jenna!” He rushed over, Elena not far behind. A large kitchen knife was protruding from Jenna`s stomach, blood staining her shirt quickly. She blinked at the teacher like she had no idea what was going on. “Call 911.” Ric ordered, pressing his hands to the wound, trying to stanch the blood flow. He thought about pulling the knife out, but then remembered that it would be better to leave it in. “They`ll be here in about five minutes.” Elena informed him shortly after, dropping down on the floor beside her aunt.

 Jenna gasped suddenly, her hand went to the knife, as if trying to pull it out. Ric grabbed her hand and held her still. “Ric? What happened? It hurts.” Her voice sounded weak and Ric felt utterly helpless. Next to him Elena was crying, shaking all over. “You`re going to be okay. Just hold still. The ambulance is on the way.” the teacher murmured reassuringly. “Ambulance? But what…?” She tried to sit up, but cried out in pain a second later and collapsed back down. Fresh blood seeped from the wound, stained Ric`s shaking hands.

 “Just hold still, Jenna. You had an accident. It`ll be okay.” Alaric promised, tears forming in his eyes. He chanced a glance at Elena, who was nearly hysteric. “Who was on the phone?” The girl looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He knew what she was going to say even before the name left her lips. “Katherine.”

 ***

 By the time the ambulance arrived, Jenna had passed out and Elena was curled into a ball at her side, sobbing over and over that it was all her fault for not listening to Katherine´s orders. Ric told the paramedics that Jenna had walked into the knife accidently. They looked at him sceptically, but nodded and rushed her off to the hospital. The teacher took a moment to calm Elena at least somewhat, before driving her to the hospital, where they were told to wait. While Elena slumped into a seat, Ric called Jeremy and told him what had happened. The boy promised to come straight away.

 After a moment`s hesitation the teacher sent a quick text to Damon as well, surprised when the vampire showed up only minutes later. “How is she?” he asked, glancing at Elena worriedly. “We don`t know yet. She`s in surgery.” Ric answered. He felt Damon´s hand on his back and leaned into the touch, grateful for the quiet support.

 A few minutes later Jeremy and Anna came rushing in, followed by Mason Lockwood. “What is he doing here?” Damon growled. Ric could only shrug. He hadn`t thought the werewolf would even still be alive. “He drove us here. Jeremy told him what happened.” Anna informed the two men, while Jeremy went to hug his sister, who promptly started crying again. Damon tensed visibly when Mason walked over to them.

 “Is it true? Did Katherine really make her do that?” he asked in a shaky voice. “Yes she did. And you want to know why? To punish Elena for not breaking up with Stefan, whom Katherine claims to love!” Ric answered harshly. Elena had told him the whole story on the drive. How Katherine had ordered her to break up with Stefan and then used Caroline and Jenna to spy on her. Mason flinched, looked away. “I never knew… I believed her. Despite everything. I was so blind.” he muttered.

 All heads turned when a female doctor walked out into the waiting room. “I`m Dr. Fell. Are you here for Jenna Sommers?” They all nodded, so the doctor continued: “We managed to stop the bleeding and thankfully there was no real internal damage. She got lucky. She’s going to make it.” she told the group, smiling slightly at the collective relieved sighs. Elena asked if she could see her and Dr. Fell allowed it. “But no more than two of you. And only for a few minutes. She needs rest.” she ordered sternly. Elena and Jeremy followed her, while the others remained in the waiting room.

 Mason turned to Damon and Ric again. “I`m sorry. God, I`m so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. For Jenna of all people to get hurt. You were right. I`m stupid and… I know this doesn`t make up for it, but… here.” He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to the vampire. The moonstone. Damon took it, but gave Mason a suspicious look. “What`s the catch?” The werewolf shook his head sadly. “No catch. I`m just glad that Jenna will be okay. And maybe I deserve this curse.” he muttered darkly, turning away and walking slowly down the hallway.

 Jeremy and Elena emerged again. “She wanted us to tell you not to worry. She`s already feeling better.” Jeremy let the others know, coaxing a smile out of them. “We should go home. Get some rest.” Anna chimed in. She looked shaken up as well and cuddled against Jeremy`s side, when he put an arm around her. Elena started sobbing again, still blaming herself. Her brother wrapped his free arm around her, trying to offer some comfort. “It’s gonna be okay. She’s gonna pay, Elena. I don’t know how, but she’s gonna pay.” he promised with a quiet intensity that was almost scary. Still Ric agreed with him wholeheartedly.

 The teacher startled when Damon touched his arm. “Anna is right. Let`s get you home.” Ric shook his head. “I need to take the kids home. Make sure they`re okay.” he protested. “Already taken care of.” Damon replied, just as Caroline rounded the corner. “I`m here. What do you need me to do?” she asked, looking at Damon expectantly. “Get Elena and Jeremy home. Take care of them. Call the witch if you think it`ll help.” the dark haired vampire ordered. Caroline nodded. “And Jenna..?” she asked hesitantly. “She´ll be okay.”

 The blonde breathed a sigh of relief and went over to hug Elena. Damon turned to Ric again. “See, all taken care of. Blondie is perfect for the job. Now let me take care of you.” The teacher nodded and allowed Damon to lead him away, feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden. The vampire guided him to the parking lot, where he took the keys out of Ric`s shaking hands.

 The drive to Ric`s apartment passed in silence. Once there, Damon led him into the bathroom. Ric glanced at the mirror, shocked at the blood he saw smeared all over his clothes. Jenna`s blood. He didn`t fight when the vampire slowly undressed him and shoved him into the shower stall. Ric turned on the water with trembling hands and just stood under the spray for a moment, watching the red rivulets streaming down his body as the blood washed away.

 Damon joined him after a minute. Wordlessly he took the shower gel and started cleaning Ric gently, pressing kisses to his shoulder blades, the back of his neck. Ric leaned back against him and closed his eyes, glad beyond words for the vampire´s presence. After a while Damon turned the shower off, guided the teacher out and towelled him dry. Both were silent the whole time.

 Only when they had settled into bed, both still naked, cuddled close together, did Ric speak up again. “I`m glad you`re here.” Damon pressed a soft kiss to his temple and hugged him even tighter. “Me too.”

 


	29. Chapter 29

Damon spent pretty much the whole next day with Alaric. They had breakfast together, before driving to the hospital to visit Jenna, who was already looking much better and turned down Damon´s offer to speed up the healing process with a bit of his blood. “No offense, but I don`t want to end up like Caroline.” she explained. The vampire shrugged and accepted her decision. Probably better this way. Although he had to admit that he was quite okay with having vampire Barbie around, he didn`t feel the need for another new vamp. The only exception would be Ric and Damon doubted they were ready to talk about that yet.  
   
When they finally left the hospital, both men were surprised to see Mason in the parking lot, who asked if they had a moment. The werewolf apologized again and let them know that he´d confronted Katherine last night. Obviously she hadn`t even denied that she`d compelled Jenna. Had even made fun of it and told him she hadn`t thought Jenna would survive. She had also been rather furious when she found out that Damon now had the moonstone. Mason assured them that he was done with Katherine and would do anything to keep Jenna safe in the future. Damon dismissed him with a curt nod and decided to ignore Alaric`s knowing grin.   
   
“That means no more reason to kill him, right?” the teacher asked as they were getting into the car. “I guess he can live. For now.” Damon grudgingly agreed and drove them to the Gilbert house, to check up on the kids. Elena was glum, having broken up with Stefan last night to keep Katherine from hurting her loved ones again. Jeremy on the other hand was pissed. He wanted revenge and the fact that both, Elena and Anna told him to let it go and stay away from Katherine only heightened his anger.  
   
He followed Damon into the kitchen, while Ric was in the living room, trying to console Elena with little success. “What are we going to do about Katherine?” Jeremy asked. Damon regarded him with raised eyebrows, but didn`t say anything. Which only served to rile the teen up even further. “She tried to kill Jenna. We can't let her get away with that.” he stated. “Your sister wants you to stay out of this.” the vampire pointed out. “I don`t care what my sister wants. She´s just being naïve. Katherine won`t simply stop hurting us and you know it. You`re planning something, are you not? I want to help.”  
   
Damon wondered for a moment when exactly those kids had started viewing him as their big brother. It was bad enough that Caroline came to him now, rather than Stefan, when she needed help. He really didn`t need little Gilbert following him around like an eager puppy as well. “You`re the one being naïve, when you think you could hold your own against Katherine. Listen to your sister. That fancy ring you`re wearing doesn`t make you invincible. Katherine would kill you in a heartbeat, without feeling remorse.” he warned.  
   
“Stop treating me like a kid. I`m sick of getting told what to do.” Jeremy grumbled, before pointing out. “You didn`t mind my help yesterday, when you told me to spy on Mason Lockwood and call you when he leaves the house.” Yes, that hadn´t been his brightest idea, but Damon really hadn`t felt like hiding somewhere near the Lockwood property in the hopes of intercepting Mason before he met Katherine. And Jeremy had offered, so…  
   
Looking at the kid again he sighed in defeat. He could even understand Jeremy`s desire to avenge his loved ones. But he didn`t want to play babysitter and be responsible for whatever the kid got himself into. “Alright. If I can use your help, I`ll let you know. Okay?” he offered. The teen didn`t look pleased. “That`s all? If you can use my help?” he asked, clearly annoyed. “Yes, that`s as much as you`re going to get. So shut up now, before I change my mind.” Damon snarked back. Really, he had been nice enough. Jeremy seemed to notice his bad mood, because he grudgingly accepted.  
   
Since the kids were okay so far, Damon and Ric went to the boarding house, where they spent a lazy afternoon, drinking and talking and just enjoying the quiet moment. Damon was sure the peace wouldn`t last long. It was too quiet. And Jeremy had been right about one thing. Katherine wouldn`t simply stop. She must be planning something and he had no idea what it could be. But he had the nagging feeling he would soon find out.  
   
***  
   
His feeling proved to be true. The next morning he opened the door to find a very shaken up Caroline. Alaric had left about an hour ago, after having spent the night at the boarding house and he hadn`t seen Stefan so far. “What happened now?” the dark haired vampire asked, slightly annoyed, while he led the blonde inside. “I just saw Katherine.” That quickly managed to catch his interest. “Where?”   
   
“At the Grill. I just stopped by to gawk and... quasi-stalk Matt. And then… she cornered me in the bathroom. She told me to deliver a message.” Caroline was visibly shaking. Damon led her to the couch and took a seat next to her. “What message?” he wanted to know, although he could already imagine. “She wants the moonstone. She wants you to hand it over tonight, at the masquerade ball. Or she will continue to kill people.” Damon cursed under his breath. He should`ve known.  
   
Both looked up when Stefan walked in. He looked wretched, but it quickly turned to concern once he spied the blonde. “Caroline, is everything okay?” She shook her head and Damon urged her to tell his brother the news. “That Mason gave you the stone threw her off guard.” the younger Salvatore mumbled. “Yeah, she certainly didn`t expect her pet to turn on her. She's out of tricks.” Damon agreed. Stefan warned him to be cautious. This was Katherine after all.  
   
“What do we do, now? Can`t we just give her the stone so she`ll leave?” Caroline asked, looking from Stefan to Damon. The older one shook his head. “No way. She wouldn`t leave. It`s never easy with her. So I`ll make it easy. I'm going to go to the masquerade ball and I'm gonna kill her, tonight.” he decided. He was fed up with that bitch and her little games. Tired of being played for a fool. He would end this, once and for all.   
   
But of course saint Stefan didn´t agree. “You're not going to kill her.” he protested. Damon rolled his eyes and turned to his brother. “Don't give me that goody-goody crap. Katherine dies tonight. End of story.” And he`d be damned if he let Stefan`s attack of conscience stop him. “You don`t understand, Damon.” the younger one said quietly. “You're not gonna kill her. Because I am.” There was a dark glint in his eyes and Damon couldn`t help but grin. “Now that´s the spirit.” he commented, pleased that they agreed on something for a change.  
   
“We`ll need a plan.” Stefan pointed out. “And some back-up.” the older Salvatore agreed, turning to Caroline. “You in, Blondie?” She hesitated for a moment, but then she seemed to make up her mind and nodded. “Yes, I`m in.” Okay, that was at least a start. “I`ll call Ric and tell him to bring his weapons.” Damon decided, ignoring the grin Caroline sent his way at the mention of the teacher`s name. “Alright. I`ll send a text to Bonnie. Maybe she can help us to isolate Katherine somewhere.” Stefan mused. “Yeah, do that.”   
   
Damon quickly called Ric and told him the short version of things. The teacher promised to pack his weapons and come over. After hanging up, Damon debated with himself for a second and then sent a quick text to Jeremy. Knowing Katherine they would need all the help they could get and the boy had already proven that he could be useful.  
   
Damon and Stefan started discussing their options while they waited, trying to come up with the best plan. Stefan pointed out that they couldn`t underestimate Katherine. They had to be smarter than her if they didn`t want this night to end in disaster. Damon had to agree with him. About fifteen minutes later a knock at the door interrupted their plotting. “That`s Ric.” Damon announced without thinking, earning himself a frown from Stefan and another grin from Caroline. Rolling his eyes he went to open the door.  
   
Alaric greeted the vampire with a nervous smile. He was carrying a large bag, which he dumped onto a desk. “I brought the weapons, like you asked. Please tell me you have an actual plan this time.” Damon shrugged. “We`re getting there.” The teacher regarded him with raised eyebrows, not exactly happy with that answer. “What you got there?” the older Salvatore changed the topic, pointing to the bag. With a sigh, Ric started unpacking the various weapons. Damon joined him at the desk and looked at the assortment with interest. The teacher was rather creative when it came to these, he had to say.  
   
Ric started explaining the different weapons and how they were used, when there was another knock at the door. This time it was Jeremy. “What are you doing here?” Stefan asked, clearly puzzled. “Damon texted me. I`m here to help you.” The younger Salvatore turned to his brother. “You brought Elena`s brother into this? Are you nuts?” His flare of anger was quite funny to watch. At least Damon thought so. “He brought himself into this.” he pointed out. Stefan shook his head vehemently. “No. No way. Jeremy go back home. We`ve got this.”  
   
“You don`t get to boss me around. I`m doing this, whether you like it or not.” Jeremy protested, pushing past Stefan to join Damon and Ric at the desk. The teacher sent Damon a look that clearly said he wasn`t pleased about it either. “Oh chill, guys. We`ll find something easy for him to do. Something that keeps him out of direct danger.” the dark haired vampire reassured them, stopping the teens protest with a wave of his hand. “Shut up. You want to help, you do as told.” Jeremy huffed in annoyance, but remained quiet.  
   
About five minutes later Bonnie finally showed up, grimoire in hand. Her gaze swept over the weapons and the assembled group and came to land on Stefan. “What's going on?” It was Jeremy however, who answered first. “We're gonna kill Katherine.” Bonnie`s eyes widened in shock and Stefan hurried to explain. But the witch didn`t like their plan, pointing out that too many people could get hurt if they really attacked Katherine at the party. The younger Salvatore continued to try and persuade her, pointing out that this was why they needed her help, until she finally muttered. “I guess I could do a spell to trap her, like the tomb spell.”  
   
“Perfect. We can isolate her, away from the others. Please, Bonnie. We need you.” he looked at her pleadingly and in the end she gave in. “Okay, I`ll do it. I`ll help. As long as no one gets hurt.” she relented. Damon nodded. “Except Katherine. Tonight Katherine gets a stake through her heart.” He felt almost giddy at the prospect of ridding the world of that heartless bitch. But they had to play this cool. “Okay, back to the plan.”  
   
“Bonnie traps her in a room, preferably somewhere far away from the party. We wait there. And then we`ll kill her.” Stefan decided. Sounded easy. A little too easy, maybe, but Damon didn`t want to worry about that now. “Alright. Then we only have to lure her there. Which will be the hardest part. She`s going to be suspicious.” he warned. His brother nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she won`t simply agree to meet us somewhere secluded. She chose the party tonight, because she knows that we would never do anything in a crowd. She`s smart, we have to give her that.”  
   
“Which means we have to be smarter.” Damon said with a smirk. “What do you suggest?” Alaric wanted to know. “I suggest a little teamwork. Stefan and I wait upstairs, while Jeremy tells her where to meet us.” the dark haired vampire decided. Stefan frowned. “That`s your brilliant plan? She`ll know it`s a trap. Maybe she`ll even hurt Jeremy.” he protested. “Relax. He´s got his ring, so she can`t kill him permanently. And I count on the fact that she`ll think it`s a trap. Because then she will find someone who she believes is on her side. Or at least, afraid enough of her to do everything she says.” His eyes turned to Caroline.   
   
“She will never expect you of all people to trick her. So that`s exactly what you will do. Think you`re up for that?” The blonde nodded, albeit a little reluctantly. “Good. So Jeremy tells her a wrong meeting place, she gets suspicious and then you lead her to the room, where Stefan and I will be waiting.” Caroline and Jeremy nodded their agreement. “What do you want me to do?” Ric spoke up.   
   
Stefan answered before Damon could. “I need you to stay with Elena. I don't want her to know about this.” The teacher frowned. “No way. I`m not playing babysitter while you confront Katherine.” he declared, casting a quick glance at the older Salvatore. Damon wasn`t really sure what to think. On one hand he wanted Ric by his side, but on the other hand he wanted the man to be safe. “Someone has to stay with Elena.” Stefan insisted. “Mason could do that.” Jeremy chimed in. “He`s going to spend the evening with Jenna anyway. She invited him after he brought her home from the hospital earlier. They said something about pizza and TV.”   
   
“And you think we can trust him?” the younger Salvatore asked doubtfully. This time it was Ric who answered. “I`m sure we can. He likes Jenna. A lot. And he promised to look after her in the future.” Stefan still didn`t seem convinced, but Damon decided to ignore his brother´s unease. Coming to the conclusion that Ric actually might be safer where the vampire could look after him, he decided: “Okay, Mason looks after Jenna and Elena. Get Jenna up to date as well. She can help to keep Elena busy.” Jeremy nodded and promised to fill his aunt in.  
   
“I want you somewhere close to that room. You`re our backup in case something goes wrong.” the dark haired vampire continued, looking at Ric. “Alright.” the teacher agreed. “Good, then we`re set.” Damon concluded, rather pleased with their plan. He just hoped everything would go down like they wanted it to. “Alright, if anybody wants to back out, I'll understand.” Stefan spoke up again, letting his gaze sweep over the group. Probably a good idea to mention this now. “Yeah. Cold feet speak now. I don't want this going wrong if someone chicken's out.” he agreed with his brother, looking at Caroline pointedly.  
   
“I won't. I´ve been afraid of her long enough. It`s time to end this.” She looked him dead in the eyes, chin jutted out determinedly. No problem there. “Jeremy?” The teen matched Caroline`s stance. “Don`t worry. You can count on me.” Damon nodded and turned to the witch. “And you?” Bonnie hesitated for a second, but in the end she nodded. “I`m in.” She sounded sincere and the older Salvatore hoped she had learned her lesson the last time she lied to them.  
   
“What, you`re not going to ask me?” Ric spoke up beside him. Damon turned to him with a grin. “No need. I know all about your hero-complex. You`ll never pass up a chance to save my ass.” Ric grinned back. “Well, someone has to.” he pointed out. “Hey, last time it was me saving your ass.” the dark haired vampire reminded. “Yeah, and after that Caroline had to save yours.” The blonde actually giggled at that and didn`t even stop when Damon turned to glare at her. “I would`ve managed without your help, Blondie.” he claimed, but it looked like she didn`t believe him and neither did Ric.  
   
The others had been watching the exchange silently. Stefan was frowning – big surprise there, Jeremy tried unsuccessfully to stifle a grin and Bonnie looked puzzled, obviously noticing that she was missing something here, but with no idea what it could be. “Okay, let`s all get ready for tonight. We`ll meet up at the party.” Stefan broke the sudden silence. They all agreed and after discussing a few more minor details, Jeremy, Caroline and Bonnie left, while Alaric lingered behind.  
   
“Are you sure you`re up for this?” he asked quietly, once Stefan had gone upstairs and he and Damon were alone. “Of course. Why wouldn`t I be?” the dark haired vampire replied, wondering where this was coming from. Ric didn`t really doubt his ability to kill someone, did he? “I just mean… you loved Katherine. Are you really over that? Can you just kill the woman you`ve been in love with for 145 years?” the teacher clarified. Damon sighed and looked at him. He could understand Ric`s concern and didn`t try to hide his feelings for once.  
   
“I`ve been stupid. And I`m over that. I can certainly kill the woman who played me for a fool for 145 years. The bitch who never loved me back. And I will kill her.” he said determinedly. Katherine had ruined his life long enough. He was over his obsession for her. She no longer held a place in his heart. Ric looked at him searchingly. Finally he nodded and smiled softly. “Okay. Then I`ll see you tonight.” He dropped a quick kiss on Damon´s lips and then left as well.


	30. Chapter 30

A few hours later Alaric was just getting dressed when someone knocked on the door of his apartment. He did up his pants and, expecting Damon, didn`t bother with a shirt. Therefore he blushed crimson when he opened the door to reveal Caroline. “Hey, uhh… what are you doing here?” he greeted the blonde, rather puzzled at her sudden appearance. She was already dressed up for the party, he noticed, although she was carrying a clothing bag.  
   
“I came to bring your outfit for tonight.” she announced cheerfully, trying to walk past him, but unable to cross the threshold. “Ugh, you need to invite me in.” Ric just stared at her open mouthed. “My outfit?” he repeated dumbly. He couldn`t remember telling her he needed one or anyone mentioning that he needed to dress up specifically. Well, it was a Masquerade Ball he remembered, but he had thought he`d just wear a suit. Caroline ignored his question and just looked at him pointedly. “Are you inviting me in now or what? We don`t have all night.”  
   
Surprised at her commanding tone, Ric found himself stepping back almost automatically. “Yeah, come in.” The blonde walked past him, dumped her purse onto a table and shoved the clothing bag into his arms. “Here, Damon asked me to get something for you. Said you would only show up in that ugly suit you wore to the last founders party otherwise. I think this should fit you. I`ll wait here while you get dressed.”  
   
“He did what?” the teacher sputtered indignantly. “He`s right, you know? That suit was ugly. Hate to say it, but your fashion sense is seriously lacking.” Caroline told him. Shaking his head, Ric opened the clothing bag, revealing a beautiful dark suit, complete with dress shirt and tie. “That looks pretty expensive.” he commented, noticing the fine material. The blonde shrugged. “Don`t worry. Damon paid for it.” Ric didn´t know how he felt about Damon buying clothes for him. Partly he thought it was an almost sweet gesture, but partly he was annoyed that the vampire had gone behind his back once again.  
   
“Hey, it`s totally okay to let your boyfriend buy you clothes. And Damon´s loaded. He paid for this dress, too, if it makes you feel better. Although unknowingly. Shouldn`t have sent me shopping with his credit card.” Caroline admitted with a giggle. “Damon is not my boyfriend.” Ric protested, earning himself an eye roll from the the blonde. “Your lover then, or whatever you want to call him. Doesn`t matter. Stop discussing and get dressed now. We can`t be late for the party.”  
   
Giving in, Alaric grabbed the bag and headed for the bathroom. Arguing with Caroline was pointless anyway. Especially when it came to clothes. That girl was used to getting her way. Probably inherited the bossy attitude from her mother.  
   
When he emerged from the bathroom about fifteen minutes later, he had to admit that she at least did have taste. The suit fit him perfectly and it did look good on him. He even felt remotely comfortable, although he usually hated wearing suits. Caroline grinned when she saw him. “Great. Just like I imagined. Okay, let me see to your hair.” Frowning Ric took a step back. “No thanks, I`m not Elena you know?” The blonde sighed in exasperation. “Yes, I did notice. I wasn`t going to use the curling iron on you, don`t worry. And now stop being a baby and sit down.”  
   
She pushed him down onto the couch with surprising strength and started fussing with his hair, while Ric vowed silently that Damon would pay for this. That`s what he got for interacting with his students outside of school. They had no respect. Okay, most of them probably hadn`t had any respect for their teacher from the start. And he supposed Caroline had long since stopped viewing him as her teacher and now saw him as some sort of big brother or whatever.  
   
About ten minutes later Caroline was finally satisfied with his appearance. Ric didn`t see any difference to his usual hairdo, but was smart enough to keep that thought to himself. The girl handed him a mask that was luckily rather simple in design. It was black with little swirls of dark blue, devoid of fancy accessories like gems or feathers.  
   
The teacher breathed a sigh of relief when she finally announced that it was time to go. He grabbed his wallet and car keys, slipped two vervain darts into his jacket pocket, just in case, and they left. Once outside Caroline took her leave and got into her own car. The drive to the Lockwood mansion was a short one. Slowly Ric was starting to get nervous. There was so much that could go wrong tonight and just the thought of Damon, locked in a room with Katherine was making his stomach turn. He knew that once Bonnie had completed the spell, no vampire would be able to leave the room. The Salvatores would be trapped like Katherine.  
   
The fact that Stefan would be in there with his brother was only a small consolation. Ric wasn`t sure if the Salvatore brothers would be strong enough to win a fight against Katherine. If they would really be able to work together against her. He could only hope that the element of surprise would give them enough of an advantage. At least he would be there to step in if they needed help. And he had also made sure that both vampires were armed as good as possible.  
   
Arriving at the party he fastened his mask and took a stroll around. He spied Jeremy, somewhere off to the side, framed by Anna and Bonnie. Nodding to the three of them and receiving a similar greeting in return, the teacher walked on and finally stopped on the steps that led out into the garden. He let his gaze sweep over the couples on the dance floor, perfectly illuminated by colourful lights. Carol Lockwood and her volunteers had outdone themselves once again. He just felt bad for Jenna, who had been really looking forward to this night and now she couldn`t attend. He just hoped she would spend a nice evening with Mason.  
   
A low whistle made him turn around. “I knew it was a good idea to send vampire Barbie shopping for you. You look damn hot.” Damon commented, letting his eyes rake over the teacher`s tall frame. Ric could feel his cheeks heat at the compliment and hoped the mask would hide his blush. “Thanks. But you could`ve warned me.” he shot back. “You would have told me not do it and shown up in that ugly suit. This looks so much better on you.” the vampire reasoned, stepping closer and letting his hand trail over Ric`s arm lightly.  
   
The teacher had to smile despite himself. And he had to admit that the suit was nice. “Okay, I would have. But I`d still like some warning next time you decide to let Caroline pick my outfit.” Because he knew that once Damon got away with this, he´d probably try it again. Knowing Mystic Falls and its addiction to festivities there would probably be another party within the month. “We`ll see about that.” Damon murmured, taking a step back again and not even trying to hide the fact that he was staring at the teacher.  
   
Ric was admiring the sight in front of him as well. The vampire always looked good in a suit and the dark mask highlighted his blue eyes perfectly, giving him an exotic and mysterious touch. “You look gorgeous tonight.” Damon´s eyes widened at the rare compliment. The surprise however was quickly replaced by his trademark smirk. “Thank you, Ric. Glad you noticed.” he drawled.  
   
The beeping of Damon´s cell phone startled both men and reminded them that they weren`t her to party or flirt. “Plan´s in motion. The room is ready and Stefan just spied Katherine on the dance floor.” the vampire relayed the message, after taking a look at his phone. Ric nodded and tried to swallow his nervousness. Their plan was good. It would work out, he reassured himself.   
   
Only minutes later Stefan appeared beside them, worry etched all over his face. “Katherine just killed a girl in the middle of the dance floor. We`ve got to call this off.” he let them know. Damon shook his head. “What? No. No way. This woman ruined our lives, Stefan. She destroyed us! Tonight it ends. We can end it. Together.” he looked at his brother closely. Stefan seemed to be debating with himself. “It`s too dangerous to do this here. More people could get hurt.” he pointed out.  
   
“How many more people will she hurt if we don`t do this tonight? This is our best shot. Don`t leave me hanging.” the older Salvatore pleaded. Stefan looked at Ric, who nodded. “Damon is right. We don`t know if we ever get another chance like this.” Heaving a resigned sigh the younger vampire finally agreed. “Alright. Let`s do this.” Damon clapped him on the back and sent a quick text to Jeremy to let him know that it was his turn. “I just hope she doesn`t hurt Jeremy.” Stefan muttered. “Don`t worry. He´s got Anna as back-up. She`ll look after him.” his brother tried to ease his fears.  
   
“Now, let`s move upstairs. Ric, you follow us once you`re sure that Katherine`s on her way.” Damon ordered. Alaric nodded and hung back, while the two vampires entered the building. He watched them climb the stairs and tried to calm his racing heart-beat. Everything would work out. Only a few minutes later he spied Katherine, who was dragging a weakly struggling Caroline upstairs. He waited until they were out of sight and was just about to go inside and follow them, when he suddenly saw Elena out in the garden, heading for the house, closely followed by Jeremy, Bonnie and Anna.  
   
The teacher stifled a curse and went to intercept them. “Elena, what are you doing here? You`re supposed to be at home with Jenna.” The girl looked at him defiantly. “You wanted me to stay home while you try to kill Katherine? You`re crazy. This will never work. Please, Alaric. Stop this insanity now. They won`t listen to me.” she pleaded. “I`m sorry, but it`s too late for that, Elena. Go back home.” Ric ordered, but she wouldn`t listen. “I can`t just go back home. How am I supposed to feel if one of you guys gets hurt because of me?“  
   
“No-one but Katherine gets hurt tonight.” Jeremy stated confidently, while Bonnie assured her friend that they all knew what they were doing. Ric was fidgeting, getting restless. He didn`t want to leave the kids alone down there, but he also knew that Damon counted on him to have his back. “I`ve got to get upstairs. Get her home.” he told Jeremy, who nodded.  
   
Ric had just reached the stairs, when a scream from Elena made him rush back outside. His eyes widened in horror when he saw a bloody patch spreading across her back. “Elena, what´s wrong?” She screamed again and her arm started bleeding. Ric could only watch, completely helpless. He had no idea what was going on. Thankfully Bonnie understood faster. “Oh god, it's Katherine. She's linked to Katherine. Get them to stop! Now!” she shouted and Anna took off in a run, skipping upstairs in a blur.  
   
She returned only a few moments later. “Katherine has a witch on her side. She linked her to Elena.” she confirmed Bonnie`s suspicion. Alaric cursed under his breath. They had thought of everything, planned every detail, but they hadn`t realized that Katherine might have back-up here as well. Once again that bitch had managed to outsmart them. Another pained scream from Elena brought him out of his reverie. Blood spread across the girl`s palm. “What are they doing? They know that hurting Katherine hurts Elena.” Jeremy cried.  
   
“They`re not doing anything. That´s Katherine. She´s doing this to herself.” Anna said quietly. Ric shuddered. How sick was that woman? He glanced at the young vampire, a little worried because of the blood, but Anna was keeping herself in check. Bonnie tried to take some of Elena`s pain away with a spell. Thankfully it seemed to be working. “The girl I saw, the one inside!” Bonnie spoke up suddenly. “That was Katherine`s witch. Stay with her, I`ll find that witch!” she ordered, taking off before anyone could reply.  
   
Since there wasn`t much he could do here, Ric decided to head upstairs. Damon and Stefan were still trapped in that room with Katherine and they couldn`t even really defend themselves, since they couldn`t risk hurting her. Jeremy and Anna assured him they would be fine here, so he rushed off. When he arrived at the room, the three vampires were sitting around, watching each other warily. “Oh, more company.” Katherine commented. Damon got up and joined Ric at the door.  
   
The teacher wanted to update him, but knew that Katherine would hear as well. Thinking quickly he pulled out his cell phone and typed: _> Bonnie is looking for the other witch.<_ _,_ before holding it up for Damon to read. The dark haired vampire nodded. “Hope she hurries up. The second the spell is lifted, I'm gonna drive a stake right through Katherine´s heart.” He glanced at the woman in question, who didn`t seem the least bit concerned about his threat.

 Stefan said something that Ric didn´t quite catch and Katherine laughed. “Yes, I have to say I was very disappointed with Mason.” she admitted. Damon snorted. “Well, probably should have kept him on a tighter leash.” he suggested. “I'll have to remember that for next time. He's not the only wolf in town, you know?” Alaric didn`t like the sound of that, but before he could give it more thought, a dark skinned woman appeared next to him. He stepped aside automatically. There was something about her that was … eerie.

 “Katherine, the spell on this room has been broken. You're free to leave. And I got this.” the woman announced, holding up the moonstone. Ric tried to stop her from giving it to Katherine, but with a dismissive wave of her hand the witch knocked him into the far wall. When Damon tried to lunge at her, she sent him flying across the room. With a grin Katherine took the stone.

 And crumbled to the ground just a second later, gasping for air. “You should have told me another witch was involved. She's a Bennett witch, Katherine, but I'm sure you knew that.” the witch said coldly.

 “Wait, Elena!” Stefan shouted. “Elena's fine. The spell is broken. She'll heal quickly. Bonnie's with her.” the witch reassured him. Katherine was writhing on the ground, her struggles getting weaker, until she finally fell unconscious. “I apologize for my involvement. I never meant for this to happen. Katherine forced me to help her. Still, I can`t let you kill her.” the witch spoke up again. “I think we`ll find another way to get rid of her. Don`t worry.” Damon mused, getting to his feet again. She nodded and left.

 Ric joined the Salvatore brothers and looked down on the unconscious Katherine. “Alright. What do we do with her now?” Stefan just shrugged, but Damon already had an idea. “She was supposed to be in the tomb, but she never was. Why don`t we remedy that?” he suggested. The teacher smiled. “Lock her up? Seems fitting.” Stefan agreed as well. “We`ll have to ask Bonnie to renew the spell.” he pointed out. “Okay, get the witch. We`ll take care of Katherine.” Damon decided.

 While the younger Salvatore went in search of Bonnie, Damon picked up the unconscious Katherine and slung her over his shoulder. “My car is right outside.” Ric offered. Damon nodded. “Lead the way then.”

 Surprisingly enough they made it to the parking lot without encountering anyone. The party still seemed to be in full swing and most people were out in the garden. They put Katherine into the backseat and drove to the old church ruins, after Bonnie had texted to let them know she would meet them there. The brunette didn`t stir when they put her into the tomb. Bonnie arrived only minutes later. She placed some candles onto the floor, sat down and started chanting. Ric watched fascinated how the wind picked up and the candles flickered. Vampires were something he was used to by now, but witchcraft still gave him an eerie feeling.

 Once the spell was done, Bonnie left, after telling them that Jeremy and Anna were taking Elena home. Damon made no move to leave, so Ric lingered as well. Finally Katherine stirred. She looked around in puzzlement, but quickly realization dawned. Shooting up she tried to run out, but the invisible barrier held her back. She looked at Damon in shock. “What did you do? Where am I?”

 “Where you should have been all along. I thought you'd have learned your lesson by now, messing with a Bennett witch.” Damon chided. He went to close the door. “No, Damon, don't. Damon, don't. I'll do anything, please. You love me.” Katherine screamed. It was the first time Ric heard something like panic in her voice. “I don´t love you. Not anymore. I hate you.” the dark haired vampire spat. “No, you love me. Damon, please.” Katherine kept pleading, but the older Salvatore just regarded her coolly.

 Finally Katherine seemed to realize that this was going nowhere. Her face darkened in anger. “And I never loved you. Just like your father never loved you. Like Elena will never love you. You may hate me, but a lot of people love me. Someone will get me out of here in no time, you`ll see. But you? No-one ever loved you. And no-one ever will.” she said cruelly. Ric could see that her words were having an effect on Damon, even if the vampire tried not to let it show. His shoulders slumped slightly and his face went blank. Without another word he pushed the door closed, ignoring Katherine´s cries.

 “Damon…” Ric started, taking a step towards the vampire, but he moved away. “Let`s just head home.” Alaric followed him to the car, not really knowing what to say. The drive to the boarding house passed in uncomfortable silence. Stefan called to let them know he`d be staying with Elena tonight. Damon only mumbled his okay and hung up.

 When they entered the boarding house, Ric tried to speak up again, but the beeping of Damon´s cell phone interrupted him. The dark haired vampire quickly read the text and cursed. “From vampire Barbie. Looks like Katherine compelled someone to attack Tyler Lockwood. We`ve got another werewolf on our hands.” Alaric stifled a curse as well. Just what they needed. But they could worry about that tomorrow. Now he had a vampire to worry about.

 “We`ll take care of it tomorrow. I`m sure Mason will show him the ropes and I think Tyler and Jeremy are friends. He`ll probably help, too. Let`s just go to bed now.” Damon nodded and walked upstairs. He looked tired. Once they reached the vampires room, he started stripping off his clothes mechanically, pointedly ignoring Alaric, who decided it was time to talk. Time to say something he had postponed far too long. He should`ve told him ages ago.

 “Damon, what Katherine said. It`s not true.” he stated quietly. Still the vampire didn`t look at him. “I know. Nothing she ever says is true.” he mumbled back. Ric grabbed his arm roughly. “Look at me.” Slowly Damon complied. Their eyes met, locked. Ric could feel his heart starting to race. But he had made up his mind. He had waited too long to say this. “She said no-one loves you. But she`s wrong. Because I do. I love you.” he whispered.

 Damon´s eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat. Ric wondered how long it had been since he had heard these words. “Why?” the vampire whispered back. Ric gently stroked his cheek. “There are so many reasons. I`m afraid listing them all would take all night. I fell in love with you three years ago. And I never stopped loving you. I may have forgotten for a while.” at this he looked at Damon pointedly. “But the feeling was always there. Will always be there.” he promised.

 The vampire just stared at him for what seemed like hours. Ric held his stare, tried to convey his sincerity without words. Finally Damon closed the gap between them and crushed his lips to Alaric`s, kissing him with an almost desperate urgency. His fingers made quick work of Ric`s dress shirt, unbuttoning it and sliding it off the teacher`s shoulders. Stripping each other was something they had quite a bit of practice in, so it didn`t take long at all until they tumbled onto the bed together, both fully naked.

 Ric had thought that first time Damon had looked at him the whole time while they had sex had been intense. But it was nothing compared to this. They took their time, wanting to prolong it as much as possible. Foreplay was drawn out. Ric spent long minutes caressing Damon`s body with hands, lips and tongue, before preparing him gently. When he finally entered the vampire their eyes locked, their hands entwined.

 The teacher whispered “I love you.” over and over, while he thrust into the willing body beneath him. It seemed that now it was out in the open, he just couldn`t stop saying it. Damon was unusually quiet, but the wondrous look in his expressive eyes was answer enough.

 Only after they had come almost simultaneously, after Ric had pulled out and they were lying side by side, their breathing evening out and sweat cooling on their bodies, did Damon speak up again. He rolled them over, so that he was on top of Ric now. Looking down at the teacher he whispered: “I love you, too.” And he looked so young and so fragile saying it, that Ric pulled him down and sealed his lips with another kiss. A silent promise not to hurt him like Katherine had. Like so many others had.

 “What are we going to do about our little werewolf problem now?” Damon asked after a while. Ric chuckled. Typically Damon to come up with something like that now. “We`ll figure something out. We always do.” he replied sleepily. “Yeah. Though I guess you won`t let me kill him.” the vampire muttered. Ric just pulled him closer, hoping he would go to sleep soon. It had been a long and eventful day and he was tired. He really had no wish to talk about werewolves right now.

 He was already half asleep when Damon spoke up again. “Ric? Do you think you… you could love me… forever?” His voice was quiet, hesitant. The teacher`s eyes flew open. He knew what Damon was asking. And it wasn`t like he`d never thought about it. But he didn`t have an answer yet. He wasn`t ready to be turned into a vampire. Not yet. But maybe in a couple of month? Maybe in a year?

 “I`ll think about it. Just give me some time, okay?” he finally answered. Damon had been very still beside him. Waiting for his answer with baited breath. Now he relaxed, cuddling against Ric`s side with a sigh. “Alright. I`ll ask again tomorrow.” Alaric chuckled and pulled him even closer. “You`re impossible.” He could practically feel the vampire`s smile. “Mmh, but you love me.” Damon murmured sleepily, sounding more content than Ric had ever heard. “Yes, I do.” he agreed. “And I love you. Forever.” the vampire whispered, before finally drifting off to sleep. Ric closed his eyes as well, feeling happy like he hadn`t in ages. As he too drifted off to sleep he wondered absently what his answer would be, if Damon really asked again tomorrow.

 


End file.
